Transistors

Transistors burst on to the NZ scene in 2009 with the release of their first album. The garage-punk three piece of Olly Crawford-Ellis, Colin Roxburgh, and James Harding formed in high school and honed their high energy live performances by playing “every show that was offered”. After opening for The Mint Chicks, they gained the attention of John Baker, who became the band’s manager. Their debut, Shortwave, was recorded by veteran Auckland producer Bob Frisbee. Clocking in at just 20 minutes, the album is a furious statement of intent and received rave reviews. They released the Flux Pentaphile EP the following year and continued to tour heavily.

In 2012 the band embarked on an extensive 27 date US tour supporting Japanese legends Guitar Wolf. They also received acclaim for their performances at Big Sound festival in Australia. The trio released their long-awaited second album Is This Anything? in 2013. Again produced by Frisbee, the album boasted a more polished sound. They followed it up with the release of Cuppa Jarra Brossa in 2015. Recorded straight to four track by Joe Sampson, it marked a back to basics approach. The band announced that a performance at Canterbury Museum in 2016 would be their last. Following this hiatus Crawford Ellis and Harding formed power pop band Best Bets. Transistors have since played sporadic, largely unannounced shows.