Tarn PK

Tarn PK (aka Tarn Puentener-King) is a multifaceted artist, producer, and songwriter known for weaving introspective themes into sleek, forward-thinking soundscapes.

Growing up in Ōtautahi – Christchurch, New Zealand , Tarn started recording music when he was 12, teaching himself to make covers on GarageBand and uploading videos onto YouTube (thankfully now taken down…).

Tarn played in bands all through his teenage years, mostly as a drummer, but over time he’s taught himself guitar, bass and keyboard and his releases to date all feature a mix of live and digital instruments played and produced by Tarn.

Tarn began recording his own music at 16 and released his first single in 2018. The single Talk To You made New Music Friday in Australia/New Zealand, the UK and the USA in November 2018. The Fantasy EP released in early 2019 was based in the sounds of RnB, Funk and Pop. Tarn then heading to Wellington to study Commercial Music at Massey University.

In 2020 during the COVID lockdown, Tarn decided to paint a picture of the world standing still for a moment, to take a step back from a chaotic world and create music that felt personal, meaningful, and real. The Monarch EP (2021) called back to ideas from 70’s singer/songwriter artists, but made in a way that felt modern, mixing natural instruments, with modern production effects.

In contrast the SugarCoated – EP (2022) reflected a dive into left of field inflections, alternative/hyper-pop textures and “wanting make things louder”. The lead single SugarCoated made Spotify’s New Music Friday AU & NZ.

The 2023 single Papier-Mâché, incorporating a new sonic palette of distorted guitars, synthesisers, and deflated drum sounds, made Spotify’s New Music Friday AU & NZ and their Pop N Fresh playlist.

Tarn’s latest project in 2025 the F.O.M.O. EP is inspired by the grey environment and oppressive skyscrapers of urban Wellington. It’s a reflection of time living in the city and working a 9-5 desk job.

Tarn is currently rehearsing a small gigging band with the intention of taking the F.O.M.O EP and some of his previous material to live audiences in New Zealand for the first time.

In the last few years the latest development for Tarn has been beginning to work with artists, including Jack Panther and First Reserve, as a collaborator and producer, which he feels is a great counterbalance to his own projects.