Borderline Release Hypnotic New Single ‘Tainted’
Following a breakthrough year on the international stage, Indie-pop band Borderline has released their first single of 2026, Tainted. The hypnotic song blends shimmering synths and guitars with captivating melodies, shaping a sound that sits at the pop end of indie.
Speaking about the creation of the track, frontman Ben Glanfield says “Tainted was such a blast to make, we loved messing around with quirky sounds and having a real good time experimenting in the studio. It’s been just as fun taking it to the stage over the New Zealand summer and playing it live. Tainted is such a step forward sonically for us and we can’t wait to share even more out of the ordinary tunes.”
Guitarist Matthew McFadden commented on the recording process, saying, “We got a bit experimental with Tainted.” The song began with a writing session in Sydney alongside producer James Guido. McFadden added “The original idea was just so inviting to all these fun, quirky sounds that we later added to it in the studio. The freedom we allowed ourselves on this gave Tainted its own unique vibe that we’re so happy with.” Nic Manders produced the recording at Roundhead Studios in Auckland before it was mastered by Vivek Gabriel.
Already recognised as one of New Zealand’s most compelling indie-pop exports, Borderline’s EP and dynamic live shows won international audiences in 2025 and they are set to continue their growth in 2026 having just announced a tour of North America in April.
Jackson Boswell, Borderline’s drummer says “Tainted is such a fun groovy song to play live, we’ve been teasing it here in New Zealand over our summer shows, but we absolutely can’t wait to play it on our US tour in April, we hope you love it as much as we do.
The band are also excited to share the official video for Tainted. Directed by Tom Grut.
