I’ve just said hello to a groovy little three-piece outfit from, surprise surprise – Taranaki! New Plymouth’s Hollow Ground are made up of guitar/vocalist Eric Holt, bass player Aaron Hildred and drummer Paul Tattersall. They’ve been together since early 2023, making a bit of a name for themselves on the ‘Naki live circuit, and are now dipping their black-socked toe into the new release club with an up-coming EP, led by single Overhaul.

We’re treated to a monster of a bluesy riff reminiscent of when the Heavy Rock scene of the late 80s and early 90s was beginning its morph into Grunge. There’s some subtle distortion on the guitars that restrain it from getting too muddy – which works, as the bottom end, which is as tight and deep as one would want it to be, is furnished with a higher than mid tempo beat that doesn’t stray into the frenetic carnage of Thrash. Can’t fault the musicianship on any of the three guys pieces, and there’s some light, not too cluttered layering on the guitar as the track develops. A very well executed solo transpires too, which got a yay from me.

Eric‘s vocal is very much an attitude and emotion-driven performance. We have an almost subdued verse performance, where his tenor is impersonating a baritone – listen to it and you’ll see what I mean – and he rips into the chorus in an almost post-punk high-end ranged cry at the world at large. For melody we’re given ample, nothing sugary or sappy, as this is a genre crossing Rock number that has Grunge and Punk in the mix. No “daisy daisy gimme your answer do” here, thank you.

It’s a nicely delivered orchestration and composition, and the desk twiddlers have managed to retain the rawness the genres require for it to pass the genuineness test. Tideline Audio in New Plymouth, give thyselves a jolly old pat on the back for that work. Context for the lyrics? From the EPK: Overhaul is a song that has been written about living a blue collar, working class life and just getting on with things. Life happens fast and we feel like we are on for the ride.

This is definitely a song for the live scene. It can be delivered heavier on stage maybe, with some deeper distortion pedal and turning the bass dial up on the guitar, but it doesn’t need that for the studio version. I’d love to see the band get some airplay at the first attempt, so hopefully they’re getting into some conversations with some decent representation. The single is on You Tube – although the vid is a graphic only – and Spotify.

As ever, the ‘Naki provides a diversity that surprises me for such a relatively small population. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by now though, with so many of my reviews being for bands from that fabbo part of Te Ika-a-Māui. Great work, great debut release, and more to come which promises commitment and longevity. Give them a listen! Hollow Ground is the band. Overhaul is the track.