On a surprisingly mild winter’s night at Auckland’s Tuning Fork, Ones to Watch NZ pulled together three up-and-comers daring enough to put their sound under the microscope of a discerning live audience.
The lineup had something for everyone. Raw potential, creative edge, and bona fide polish. But by night’s end, it was clear which act left the biggest footprint on the floorboards.
Lucy Gray: Bedroom Pop Meets the Big Stage
First up was 18-year-old Lucy Gray, emerging like a Gen Z pop ghost with her ethereal backing tracks, live drums, and guitar slicing through the haze.
Her set opened with a dreamy synth-and-beat combo that had the room leaning in, curious and cautious.
But by song three, when she addressed the crowd, how you all doing tonight? I’m so excited to perform for you tonight, you got the sense she was still finding her footing on the live stage.
There’s undeniable charm here, and her lyrics show flashes of brilliance. The line- ride the subway in California- stood out, a little-known truth that caught ears and raised brows. But Lucy’s vocals struggled to keep up with the production.
Breathless and buried in auto-tune and reverb, especially on her Renee Rapp cover, she seemed caught in the echo chamber of her own ambition. The hooks weren’t quite sticky enough to hold the crowd’s attention long-term, but give her some time, vocal coaching, and a producer with a sharp pen. She might just find her voice and place in the New (Pop) Order.
Aidan Fine: FunkHopEration Nation
Next came Aidan Fine, a shapeshifter of genre and groove.
Somewhere between Hip Hop, Funk, and Soul, with a healthy dash of Wellington Jazz school attitude. Aidan’s set wasn’t just vibey, it was visionary.
He strutted through tracks that pulsed with a confidence beyond his years, and while some might call it Hip Hop, I’m coining it FunkHopEration. A delicious collision of live instrumentation, bounce-heavy beats, and spoken word swagger that felt equal parts Anderson Paak and Fat Freddy’s Drop.
His storytelling was playful but sharp, his flow fluid, and most impressively, his band locked in tighter than a NASA launch code. It was movement music. Slick, smooth, and soaked in rhythm.
Borderline: No Border, Just Breakthrough
Then came Borderline, and within 30 seconds of their first song, the energy in the Tuning Fork exploded.
This was a band with the kind of cohesion that feels almost suspicious—like how did they not already have a top ten single?
With frontman Ben Glanfield channelling a charisma cocktail of Adam Levine’s falsetto finesse and Nick Jonas’ boy-next-door cool.
Borderline’s set was an all-killer-no-filler sprint through Pop-Rock gold. A tight, high-octane showcase of sharp hooks and dangerously danceable beats that transformed the venue into a thumping reminder that guitars and groove still rule the night.
The rhythm section was electric. Bassist Max Harries who grooved like it was his last day on Earth and drummer Jackson Boswell who literally dropped a stick mid-song, recovered with one hand without missing a beat. Earning one of the night’s biggest cheers (well inside voice from me anyway).
Their songs weren’t just catchy, they were arena-ready, with Matt McFadden guitar rhythms combined with backing vocal harmonies so tight you could hear the crowd’s collective pulse sync with them.
By the end of the night, the verdict was clear.
Lucy Gray is one to keep your eyes on—potential in progress. Aidan Fine is already carving out his own genre, one funky beat at a time. But Borderline? They’re not ones to watch. They’re the ones already breaking through.
Paul Marshall
Photos by Doug Bagg