Ben Chavasse Releases New Single ‘Teething’ Ahead of Auckland Headline Gig
Singer-songwriter Ben Chavasse is set to release his second 2026 single this August, with a lush track titled Teething.
On Teething, Chavasse sings confessions and yearnings of a wannabe lover boy, experiencing repeated crushings from distant, fantastical crushes. However, there are hints this hopeless romantic is courting his own heartaches.
“It’s about these fantasies of how we might relate to each and get along so well… I think those are naive ideas.”
“It’s about learning to push past feelings of inadequacy that result from a narrow view of intimacy. There’s this desire to become more grounded and go out into the world and meet people where they are.”
Teething demystifies the powerful illusions of infatuation and explores the importance of inviting realism into romancing.
The grounded lyricism of Teething contrasts a soaring, committed instrumentation featuring double-bass, drums, piano, guitar, cello, alto and tenor saxophone. The mix is informed by jazz harmonies and an indie-folk sensibility.
Teething will be released on August 11 across Bandcamp and all streaming platforms.
Teething follows the release of Sitting Beside earlier this year, as well his debut 2025 album Boxing.
To celebrate the occasion, Chavasse is excited to return to the stage on August 14 at Auckland’s Whammy Bar.
“I’ve had the pleasure of playing at Whammy several times. My first show was with Rita Mae. As an opener last year, I also played for Florist after their show at The Other’s Way. Whammy feels like the epicentre of live music in Auckland… one of my favourite memories was seeing Hans Pucket karaoke where they invited up audience members to sing live.”
It’s the first time Ben Chavasse will headline the venue.
“I saw some of my first ever shows in Auckland at Whammy, so it has always been a venue I aspired to play one day.”
It will be the artist’s first headline show of the year, following an unexpected cancellation in May. At the merch stand, he’ll have Boxing tees and CDs, both designed by Hans Hong.
Teething was produced in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland by Chavasse, mixed by Michael Howell (SKILAA) and mastered by Josh Llewellyn (Troy Kingi, Joe Kaptein and Jazmine Mary). Photography for the single by Felix Wang and creative direction by Hans Hong.
