Dillon Jo Return with New Single ‘Drift’
Wellington four-piece Dillon Jo return with Drift, a new single about losing someone, missing what you had, and the complicated hope that things might still be able to return to how they were.
Built around hazy guitars, melodic hooks and Dillon Jo’s signature blend of dream pop, shoegaze, alt rock and indie pop, Drift brings a more immediate and commercially accessible side of the band to the forefront.
At its heart, the song is about the quiet aftermath of losing someone close. It begins with the memory of driving around together and talking about nothing, before confronting the reality that there is now “nothing to talk about.” From there, Drift moves between nostalgia, regret and the desire to reignite something that has gradually faded.
The song captures that universal feeling of looking back on a relationship and realising the significance of the everyday moments only after they’re gone – and wondering whether you could somehow become the person you were “before everything changed.”
The recurring image of trying to “relight the match” becomes a metaphor for that hope: knowing something has gone out, but still wanting to believe there is enough left to bring it back.
For Dillon Jo, Drift also represents another step in the evolution of their sound. Describing their music as “Dreamy Droppy Rock Pop,” the band build paths between dream pop, shoegaze, alternative rock and indie pop, with a live sound that has developed into an unbridled, big-sound shoegaze experience. On Drift, they lean further into their melodic and emotionally accessible side without leaving that atmospheric edge behind.
Formed at Massey University in early 2025 by Betty Smith and Georgie Levien, Dillon Jo first connected after both appearing on 2022 reality music TV show Take The Mic. What began as an acoustic duo quickly evolved into the four-piece they are today, joined by bassist and producer Kahu Sanson-Burnett and drummer Ruadh Munro.
Since forming, the queer, female-fronted band have moved quickly through Aotearoa’s independent music scene. They have played Live Nation’s NZ Ones To Watch Showcase 2026, received NZ On Air New Music Single Funding, and opened for artists including The Rions, Foley, Coast Arcade, Hemi Hemingway, Wet Denim and Borderline.
They have also performed at major Wellington festivals including Newtown Festival, CubaDupa and Performance Arcade, headlined San Fran three times in 2025, and were selected as guest band for Rockquest Regional Finals across Whanganui, Manawatū, Wairarapa, Hawke’s Bay and Wellington.
Their growing catalogue has picked up support across Aotearoa’s student and community radio network, with ‘Shiver’ reaching #1 on RadioActive FM’s Top 11 for two consecutive weeks, while ‘Good Person’ reached #1 on Radio Control 99.4FM and was playlisted across Apple Music editorial playlists including New in Rock, New in Alternative, New Music Daily and The Best New Music.
With more than 64,000 streams across their catalogue, over 818,000 TikTok likes and videos reaching up to 2.1 million views, Dillon Jo are now building towards their debut album and looking beyond their Wellington roots.
Drift is the next step in that journey – a song about something deeply familiar, wrapped in the atmospheric sound that has quickly become Dillon Jo’s own.
Drift is out on all streaming platforms.
Photo Credit: Tom Grut
