Borderline’s Debut Album Is Here, and the New Zealand Band Are Just Getting Started

Emma Zoe Polyak
Jun 26
4 min read

Updated: Jul 7

Borderline | by Emma Zoe Polyak for Zany Waves

Aotearoa four-piece band Borderline have released their debut self-titled album today. It’s the perfect exclamation point to the whirlwind past year they’ve had and it’s a confident record that feels long overdue, and one that solidifies them as an indie band to watch.

Borderline is made up of Ben Glanfield (vocals and keys), Matthew McFadden (guitar), Jackson Boswell (drums), and Max Harries (bass and saxophone). The high school friends have spent the better part of two years proving themselves everywhere but on a full-length record.

I caught Borderline in Philadelphia back in April, on one of the final stops of their North American tour with Oceanic. Walking in, I knew their songs – as a fellow Kiwi, they’ve been on my radar for a while. What I wasn’t quite prepared for was what they do to those songs in a room full of people.

On their recorded songs, Borderline are full of bright, hook-driven indie-pop tracks with a funky undertow: tight arrangements, glossy production, and melodies that get stuck in your head. In a live setting, all of that is still there, but the band leans into the funkiness and grooves of their songs a bit more. Best of all, you can tell that they have fun on stage, playing with each other and feeding off of the crowd’s energy.

Borderline | by Emma Zoe Polyak for Zany Waves
Borderline | by Emma Zoe Polyak for Zany Waves

At different points during the set, McFadden and Harries each wandered off the stage and into the crowd. Harries took his saxophone with him, playing from the middle of the audience while the song continued around him. During “Jealous,” the room was pulled into a call-and-response that filled the room. And they even played a mash which included Blackstreet’s “No Diggity.” More than anything, though, they looked like they were having a blast. And when we sat down to talk before their set, that energy carried over.

The band were in high spirits – determined to soak up their last few days in the States and excited about the past month. They had just come from New York the night before, which had clearly been a highlight. “New York last night was insane,” they told me, admitting that although their exploration of cities had been confined to the areas around the venues, getting to experience it all for the first time was thrilling.

We also talked about the recording process for the album. It was written in pieces they told me – some in home studios, some on the road, and some at Roundhead Studios in Auckland, a space owned by the lead singer of Crowded House.

“It’s the first time we’ve gotten to do a full body of work. That's been a dream for all of us for a really long time.”

Listening to the album, you can hear the range of what they’ve gathered along the way. “That Girl,” which was still unreleased at the time of our interview, was already a live highlight – an unabashedly fun track that leans into ‘80s pop and funk influences, full of vintage synths. “We all get to kind of show off a bit musically,” they said of the song, and that's exactly what it feels like – four musicians letting themselves be a little self-indulgent and making it work completely. “Watching It Burn” and “Terrify,” meanwhile, had already become some of the set’s most consistent showstoppers.

Full of several notable songs, the album starts with the energetic “Can’t Stop Myself,” which sets the tone for the rest of the album. It’s everything you associate with summer (although the boys are currently deep into winter in the southern hemisphere). It’s followed by “Skyline,” which has an addictive bass line to draw you in.

The album closes on a softer note with “When It Falls Apart,” a reminder that underneath all the groove and energy, Borderline can be equally comfortable with a quiet, crooning ballad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVD8GbP3djA

Towards the end of our conversation in Philly, our talk turned to the New Zealand music scene – something that the band were quick to champion. “New Zealand is so, so dense in talent, and it’s nice that people are catching on to a lot of that.” They acknowledged that breaking into markets like the States still takes real legwork, but between the funding support available to Kiwi artists and the wave of creative peers coming through, the mood was optimistic.

Quite fittingly, the band were nominated for the 2026 Aotearoa Music Awards, in which they went on to win the People’s Choice category. They’ve also announced tours in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, and Europe in July and August. You can find more information about them here. I, for one, am excited to see them on the road again, as they are undoubtedly at home in front of an audience.

Out now, Borderline is a confident, cohesive debut from a band that has been quietly building toward this moment for years. It’s warm and funky and almost annoyingly catchy, with enough depth and range to suggest this is just the opening statement, and there’s lots more to come.