Achtung! Release Long-Awaited Debut Album ‘Spear In Fine View’
Formed in Ōtepoti Dunedin, Achtung! have been playing gigs in the alternative music scene since 2024. Described as yearning and cathartic, their debut single New Dog, Old Tricks was extremely well received in the local music scenes, boasting number one spots on multiple independent radio station charts, and taking number one on the Student Radio Network Top 10 for two weeks in a row. Their second single Homesick grew upon the band’s sound, showcasing a side with more grit and edge that met similar praise from fans new and old alike.
Achtung! are inspired by the late 90’s emotional ballads of bands like Mineral, the Windmill scene’s Black Country, New Road, and Ōtautahi locals Marsha.
The heart of the album is born out of the energy of Ōtepoti’s music scene, building upon the city’s alternative sound making waves across Aotearoa’s music landscape. It was recorded at Southlink Studios with Nick Roughan, and mixed and mastered by Hamish Waddell.
Now based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, the band’s line up consists of Jacob Stevenson on vocals/guitar, George Gearry on lead guitar (Minerva, The Audio Visual Drop Kicks), Julia Conaghan on drums (Bin Day), and Josh Jamieson on bass.
Spear In Fine View is a collection of songs written by the band from ‘23 to ‘25. Some of the earliest work opens the album with the track, Pond Weather, while New Dog, Old Tricks closes as the last song written for the album. The temporal progression of songwriting lends the album narrative direction, intertwining with the themes embodied by each song. These touch on heartbreak, love, young-adult angst and the experience of navigating adulthood. Drenched in their signature distortion-fueled guitar sound, and tearing vocals that scream catharsis, Achtung!’s debut album is not one to miss.
To celebrate the release of their album, Achtung! are playing release shows in Christchurch at Darkroom on September 12th and Dunedin at Pearl Diver on October 2nd.
