Dunedin alt-rockers Ammonita hit hard on their raucous debut EP ‘Spore’
Ōtepoti five-piece Ammonita are taking Aotearoa’s alternative rock scene by storm – today releasing their thunderous debut EP, Spore.
Spore is grungy and packs a huge punch. It takes the listener on a journey, from fierce political tracks to emotionally charged ballads.
“The EP represents our sense of variety as a band. It’ll take you from anger to heartbreak in one listening session,” says the band, which is made up of Zoe Eckhoff, Paige Sumner, Karl Young, Ivan Fernandez and Mason O’Connell.
The lead single from the EP is the chaotic, high energy rock track ‘Jane’s Masquerade, which evokes an intense surge of emotion as it builds through the verses to the final breakdown solo and chorus.
“‘Jane’s Masquerade’ channels anger and frustration from hearing stories of people cheating on their partners, especially those with no remorse. It encompasses the confusion of how someone can seemingly feel no guilt for hurting someone so badly.”
The message in the song is amplified by a music video shot by a group of design students at Otago Polytech, which was part of a prize package Ammonita received when they won OUSA’s Bring The Noise competition in 2025.
The ‘Jane’s Masquerade’ video will be released on July 20 – click HERE to sign up for the online premiere.
“It is a satirical take on the themes of the song, with band members playing the characters involved in the cheating scandal. It captures the love and fun we have making music as a band, as well as our passion for music and giving our all.”
Spore also contains Ammonita’s debut single Walnut, which took the local rock scene by storm when it was released in NZ Music Month. Other songs on the EP include the record’s heaviest track Righteous Socialite – recorded on a bright pink Hello Kitty guitar. “We loved how ironically funny it was to use such a cute guitar for the most political song we’ve got.”
The band is excited for fans to hear Righteous Socialite. “It’s been a crowd favourite for a while now. It’s a really fun and heavy song that we all love to play live, so hearing it recorded has been a cool and different experience.
“The song itself is about the upper-class members that sit right under the major political players. The lobbyists, the influencers, who claim to be working for and integrated with general working class society when in fact they only serve their own riches and prosperity. The song attempts to piece together whether the only way to reshape the world into a better one is to become the very people we protest so deeply. Rather than shouting at the world for being so messed up, we need to become the ones in charge.”
Ammonita describes the recording of Spore at Waitaki Valley’s Sublime Studios as an “unforgettable experience” and adds that resident sound engineer and producer Tom Havard was a dream to work with. The band has a couple of other notable mentions too:
“Sam Charlesworth deserves a shout-out for his insanely helpful work in the recording studio, and for his huge contribution to the Dunedin music scene in general. We’d also love to shout out Ben – the drummer’s brother – for letting us use his bedroom to write all these songs that are on the EP!”
To celebrate the release of Spore, Ammonita joined Dunedin indie artist Logan Edwards for two of the South Island shows on his NZ tour. They’ll also play their own EP release show at Pearl Diver on July 24 – tickets available HERE
Ammonita’s alternative grunge sound captures a variety of feelings through the songs we write. From punching rap-metal tracks to the longing sensations of Walnut, Ammonita encapsulates a pure love for music from the entire band. Rooted in playing gigs across venues in Ōtepoti, Ammonita is grounded in a passion for live performance. Ammonita’s combination of punching drums, heaving bass, distorted guitars and purposeful melodies capture both political and emotional commentary for all kinds of listeners to connect with.
