We spoke with two bands based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara who have been cultivating the scene for a few years now. While their sounds live in different worlds — Cruelly in grungegaze and Debt Club in indie alt-rock — both have become strong pillars of the local community. With EPs already under their belts and full-length albums set for 2026, they’re deeply rooted in DIY culture and continue to inspire the next generation of bands coming through.

Read through our interviews to hear about their origins, creative processes, and how Pōneke continues to shape everything they do.

Debt Club

Debt Club are a Pōneke based indie / alt rock 6-piece known for their rich arrangements that blend anthemic saxophone melodies with thoughtful songwriting, Debt Club crafts a sound akin to indie legends MJ Lenderman and Pinegrove.

How did Debt Club come about? How did the band members meet?

Our guitarist, Flinn, and I (River) first played together in high school when we were 16, and years later I brought him a bunch of songs I’d been working on. We started developing them and quickly realised we wanted to turn the project into a full band. Two of our good friends, Maxime and Rose, then joined us on drums and bass. From there, the lineup gradually expanded and evolved. I invited Alex to play saxophone after seeing him perform at a show, and my partner, Elina, later joined us on keys. When Rose moved overseas, Darcy stepped in to take over on bass.

What was the writing process for your new EP Taste of Stout?

The EP ended up being a mix of old and new material. A couple of tracks like “Taste for Stout” and “Windows” we played at our first show, so those songs were developed together as a full band. But something like “A Friend I’ve Never Met” was written much closer to the EP’s release, and the process was completely different, we’ve actually never played that one all together. Elina and I recorded the vocals and keys first, and then everything else was layered on afterwards.

One great memory that you share as a band?

Playing our EP release show at San Fran was really awesome. It was so cool to see a bunch of people that really believe in the project all together in one room.

What's happening in the Wellington band scene?

There is definitely a lot happening at the moment. There are shows popping up all over the place and there are so many great local bands putting out incredible music. One of the coolest things about the Wellington scene is how musically diverse it is, there are so many different genres yet everyone still plays together. It makes for some really interesting lineups that span a whole range of genres in one night.

If you could add one more talent to your band, what would it be?

I think a violin would sound so cool in Debt Club. Seeing how the saxophone and a violin would work together would be very interesting.

Cruelly

Cruelly is a Grungegaze band from Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa, delivering emotionally raw performances that blur the line between collapse and catharsis. Their sound fuses heavy guitars, unfiltered screams, and melodic undercurrents, pulling from grunge’s grit and shoegaze’s emotional weight, all while staying grounded in the fierce DIY spirit of Aotearoa’s alternative scene.

Formed by guitarist/vocalist Haylee Hailwood and lead guitarist Sam Carpenter after creative frustration in a previous band, Cruelly was born out of a need for something heavier and more honest. Joined by bassist/vocalist Amber Rose, an internet friend of Haylee’s, and drummer Milan Raxworthy after a series of lineup changes, the four-piece found their final form.

Cruelly’s live shows are an emotional onslaught, marked by a collective commanding stage presence paired with Haylee’s fiery screams, and wide-eyed intensity that leaves crowds stunned. Known for energetic, tightly packed sets where mosh pits break out and fans yell their adoration, they’ve earned a reputation as one of Te Whanganui-a-Tara’s most compelling live acts. They’ve played Newtown Festival, CubaDupa, and opened for acts like DARTZ, Earth Tongue, and Office Dog. As Hype Medium puts it: “Cruelly delivers unfiltered emotion, visceral energy and torrents of unrestrained power.”

Their debut EP Ugly Behaviour (released last December) features fan favourite “No Doubt,” which received national student radio play and coverage from Massive Magazine (cover feature), RadioActive.FM, Salient, Hype Medium, and Noise Report Mag. A live performance for Active Live cemented their status as one of the capital’s rising forces.

Rooted in the rich music community of Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Cruelly draws inspiration from the people doing the hard mahi. Local bands, small venues, and the feedback loop of influence between artists and audiences. They regularly perform at local staples like San Fran, Valhalla, Meow, and Moon, and earlier this year wrapped up a co-headline tour with Pearly, presented by Eyegum Music Collective.

How did Cruelly come about? How did all the band members meet?

Back in 2021, before any of us had moved into the city, Haylee had a dream about being in a car driving around the city listening to the radio. The announcer played a song from a local band called E.U.G, and then continued by saying "up next, the new single from Cruelly", waking from that dream she knew it had to happen. The rest is history really. The same year, Sam and Haylee started jamming together after he heard her first solo EP and wanted to form a band. It was a four piece that didn't last long. Due to being unfulfilled creatively, Haylee took Sam to form Cruelly. Amber and Haylee knew each other online for years and followed each other's musical endeavours, after Amber had recently moved to the city she was asked to audition to play bass, and after a few iterations of drummers, Milan was the final piece of the puzzle.

Which artists, films, or visual styles inspire your aesthetic the most?

Haylee: I think the visual style is inspired a lot by 90's aesthetics, I like collaging, textures, and muted colour palettes. I think we are moving into a new vibe as of recently, the Ugly Behaviour can be summarised as an era for us now. Lots of bone whites, dead flowers, jewelry. It was really cool to make and heavily inspired by 90s femme Grunge like Babes in Toyland. Right now though, I think experimenting with more industrial themes and lots of silver/grey is the thing right now. Still doing multi-media, heavily inspired by textures, over colour. This has been inspired by local artists, local everything. I go out walking, I see someone with silver eyeshadow, a tagged up building, it tickles me creatively.

You’re doing a fundraiser for your up and coming album, what can people expect from this fundraiser?

It's an awesome lineup that we are really excited about. We recently played with Dropper & Silicon Tongue for All Saint's Day at Dom Polski and the vibes were immaculate. We love playing community rich shows, and we really admire these bands. We've got a stage outside at our flat, and once the live bands play we will have a b2b set inside with Charmort and Garden Faerie which is really exciting. We all love a good boogie. It's our last event at our whare before we all move out, so we're gonna make it a good one. There's gonna be silly-string, a one-night-only item for purchase as well as our merch! merch! merch! So, people can expect a good time, good music, good company.

What inspirations do you take from your surroundings in Te Whanganui-a-Tara?

We love going to shows and seeing something with passion. A great performance goes a long way in inspiring our direction. The culture is rich with influence from the wider scene in the country and it all folds back into itself which we deeply admire and draw from. You go to a show, you hear something that hits home and we go from there. There's heaps of little pockets in the city, and too many great bands to name. There's a vibe here you can't get anywhere else, it's in the setting, the run-down houses, the venues, and how the people grow into it.

Your favourite performance?

Newtown Festival 2025. We had come back from a 2 month break and had insane energy that we can all agree was electric. A few of us had been sick with a cold and had only just recovered, but we brought the grit that day. It was so hot being directly in the sun, standing on the curb and you could look out to see a sea of faces. We started the set with this droning intro that we haven't played since with new songs that we hadn't played before. We all remember that performance really fondly. We were lucky to have some of the set recorded, and afterwards when Ringlets played, Leath the lead singer complimented our set during theirs. I think that made us even more proud cause we really look up to them.

Cruelly and Debt Club are proof that Pōneke’s underground is alive, vibrant, and constantly evolving. From grunge-gaze intensity to sax-infused indie alt-rock, both bands are carving their own paths while staying rooted in community and DIY spirit. With new music on the horizon and live shows, including their upcoming sets at Twisted, these local pillars are ready to bring their energy, creativity, and sound to a wider stage — and you won’t want to miss it.