On the Guestlist: PHOEBE RINGS
by sakina
Phoebe Rings is the kind of band that makes you feel like you’re floating — soft, celestial, and quietly powerful. Dubbed an “indie supergroup” in their native Aotearoa/New Zealand, the dream-pop outfit brings together Crystal Choi, Alex Freer, Simeon Kavanag-Vincent, and Benjamin Locke, whose fingerprints can already be found across some of the country’s most beloved projects. But with their debut album Aseurai, Phoebe Rings have carved out a space entirely their own — tender, expansive, and a little bit otherworldly. From reflections on gentrification and grief, to odes to cats and the comforts of everyday life, the album drifts between the cosmic and the intimate, gathering glowing reviews from the likes of Pitchfork, Paste, and Rolling Stone.
We caught up with Phoebe Rings fresh from their BIGSOUND showcase, where they proved just how far they’ve come since forming in 2020. With a massive 36-date North American tour alongside The Beths just around the corner, the band reflected on the different crowds they’ve played to across Asia and Australia, their rituals for surviving life on the road (Nintendo Switches and Muji shopping included), and what it means to carry Aseurai into new corners of the world. True to their name, Phoebe Rings are orbiting something vast — and if their journey so far is anything to go by, they’re only just beginning to glow brighter.
Phoebe Rings | Credit: Frances Carter (@francescarter)
Phoebe Rings have been described as an “indie supergroup” with members from some incredible NZ projects — how did the band first come together, and when did it feel like Phoebe Rings had its own identity?
Simeon: The band first came together in 2020 with the songs Crystal had written for the EP. I think we had all been in each other's orbit for a while and it felt like it made a lot of sense for us to end up in the same space. I think Phoebe Rings really feels like it is the meeting point of a lot of our individual influences. I think it definitely felt like it had its own identity from the start. Even with the EP having been written by Crystal, I think we were all able to add our own stylistic touches to the playing.
Phoebe Rings makes us want to float through space with your music. If you could send one track into orbit for aliens to discover, which one would it be?
Simeon: Playground Song - I just really like the feeling this song gives me and I want to live in it for longer each time I hear it
You just showcased at BIGSOUND — how was that experience for you, and what did you take away from playing to such an industry-heavy crowd?
Simeon: I think it really solidified how far we have come and how comfortable we are with each other and the songs. The showcase environment is an intense one and it really puts you to test on the basics and working under pressure. I think we have that stuff down in a way that allows us to perform well in almost any circumstance.
You’ve already played shows across Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Australia earlier this year. What have you learned from taking your music to such different audiences?
Crystal: The crowd culture is very different! The Japanese and Korean crowds would arrive on time and never leave until the gig is done! Australia felt a bit more similar to NZ, more casual and cheerful in general! The Asian crowds tend to be very shy and you don’t know if they’re engaged with you or not, until you see them line up at the end at the merch table after the show and they quietly say ‘your music makes me very happy.’ It has been so special getting to know different crowds and we love them all!
You’re heading on a massive North American run in October with The Beths — 36 dates! How are you preparing yourselves for such an intense tour schedule?
Simeon: I’m really hoping to get some big sleeps in before we go, and also I’m working on getting some new books in my digital library, I just started reading again properly this year and it rules. Also we all did some travel storage shopping at Muji whilst we were in Australia (we all love Muji) - Simeon
Having already supported The Beths on their sold-out Australian tour, what excites you most about joining them again on the road overseas?
Simeon: I’m excited to see the new album live! They put on such a good show and the crowds they bring in are some of the loveliest people. Also video games in the tour bus is awesome - Simeon
What does it mean to you to be bringing Aseurai to North American audiences for the first time?
Crystal: We’ve played Aseurai to lots of different audiences this year, and I’ve wondered how other countries and cities will take our soft and mellow music. Being not the most typically indie-rocky music, I’m always a bit worried and nervous about the crowd response, but we seemed to have attracted sweet and respectful people so far. Excited to meet new ones!
Do you approach a support slot differently from a headline show, and how do you make sure Phoebe Rings leaves a mark in that shorter time?
Crystal: From previous experience, The Beths audience has always been very on time, and have been super kind and responsive so I don’t think we’ve been treating it any differently!
Simeon: I think that the shorter sets will be fun for variety, a lot of the time it feels like we are very stuck in the “best first impression mode”. With 30+ shows though I think there will be some wiggle room for shuffling things around and pushing ourselves a little now that we are so familiar with material.
Touring can be grueling. What are your must-haves or little rituals that help you stay grounded while you’re away for weeks on end?
Simeon: I’m interested to see what habits form this time around. Most of our Phoebe Rings touring up to now has been very short and disjointed with a lot of flying. From my experience on other tours that are more driving based it’s easier to get into a routine and stick to it. I will be bringing my skipping rope for some pro-show exercise and of course my nintendo switch for post show shenanigans!
Your debut album Aseurai received strong reviews from outlets like Pitchfork and Paste. How has it felt seeing the project resonate so widely?
Crystal: To be honest I still can’t really feel that it happened! We feel very grateful for the kind and thoughtful reviews, and we’ll continue to make what we like to make :) I think it’ll hit harder once we are in the States and meet the crowds in real life.
The album touches on everything from gentrification and the housing crisis to deeply personal reflections, even grief and mental health. How do you balance social commentary with intimate storytelling in your songwriting?
Crystal: I think the advantage of having four songwriters in the album is that you get different stories and angles, we all live different lives and have different approaches to writing you know! I think I tend to write things that are very internal and add some imagination here and there, and from a different interview I remember Ben saying that he likes to add some fictional narratives as well, but Alex’s Mandarin Tree felt so close to reality, and I know I wouldn’t have been able to write something like that so I loved it. So we balance by having different songwriters haha!
Crystal, you’ve mentioned writing the title track in Korean as a way to feel closer to your grandmother. How important has language, and memory been in shaping the heart of this album?
Crystal: I’ve written a few songs in Korean before, so it felt natural to try it for Phoebe Rings as well. When I was writing Aseurai, the melody came first and it flowed better with Korean lyrics, so I followed that direction. Around the same time my grandmother passed away, and it felt right to write about her because it was a significant event in my life. It wasn’t something that required a big decision or a deliberate plan - rather, it unfolded in a way that felt honest and natural.
Aseurai also includes moments of lightness, like the ode to cats on the closing track. Why was it important for you to include those tender, everyday comforts alongside heavier themes?
Simeon: Sometimes the desire to write something really deep and meaningful ends up creating more writer's block for me, so I end up leaning into what I can actually see and feel. Especially when it is about a shared human experience. I was definitely vying for the last song spot on the album and I wanted to give the listeners a sigh at the very end.
What music have you been listening to lately (either on the road or while winding down) that we should add to our Side Stage Selects playlist?
Soft Power - Ezra Feinburg
Thank you for recording - Oklou
Do You Wanna - Astrid Sonne
体温 - Mei Ehara
Mirror Therapy for Phantom Pain - Minhwi Lee
With such a big year of touring and your debut album out in the world, what’s next for Phoebe Rings beyond 2025?
Crystal: Album no. 2! We’ve started jamming some new demos and it’s been a while since we’ve done that so it was a good reminder about how nice it is to work on songs together again! We’re also planning a NZ tour at the moment - hopefully we can tie it with another Aus visit! Also we would love to go to Asia again, hopefully to more countries this time and if we get to revisit Korea that’d be my dream :’)
If listeners could take away one feeling or idea after hearing Aseurai live, what would you want that to be?
Crystal: If they could feel embraced, I’d be very happy!