Finneas O’Connell is currently very stressed out - it’s not only his first time in New Zealand, where he played his new song ‘I’m In Love Without You’ for the very first time, but he’s just been asked to create his likeness in self-portrait form with just one sharpie and a piece of white card, and he’s very concerned. “This is like my least favourite thing I’ve ever done,” he comments at one point, but much like the rest of his creative endeavours, his self-portrait is stunningly intricate - and it makes sense when his mother Maggie Baird tells us how Finneas had plans to

Ari Leff, better known as Lauv, has created some of the biggest earworms of 2017 - from his platinum single ‘I Like Me Better’, to his work on Charli XCX’s catchy and obsessive ’Boys’ - and the 23-year-old is only just getting started.

With his ‘I Met You When I Was 18’ Spotify playlist working as a chronological narrative, and the latest addition ‘Paris In The Rain’ having just being released, Lauv’s story continues to grow from week to week.

Luke Atlas and Coleman Trapp make up Coast Modern, the Los Angeles duo behind what are sure to be the anthems to your Summer - from the glittery ‘Comb My Hair’, to the rap-infused ‘Guru’, each song on their debut self-titled album tells a clear narrative, atop a production that’s hard to pin down. Drawing comparisons to Glass Animals, Alt-J, and more, Coast Modern are no doubt going to be ones to keep an eye on.

Coup De Main caught up with the band via e-mail to discuss the Coast Modern sound, their album, and more…

Cigarettes After Sex’s self-titled debut album of this year has quickly become one of the year’s most beloved - receiving critical acclaim from The Guardian (“…one of the debut albums of the year”), Pitchfork (“an album of love songs, tempered with a millennial ennui that gives the songs an extra layer of relevance in 2017”), and Clash Music alike (“an ethereal quality, bringing love songs and ambience together in one dreamy swoop”).

On their latest album, ‘Truth Is A Beautiful Thing’, London Grammar sound more comfortable with their sound than ever before - while at the same time pushing the boundaries of what they're known and beloved for.

Enlisting the help of Paul Epworth (and his renowned The Church studio), Greg Kurstin, and even Jon Hopkins, the album is vast and expansive, with lead singer Hannah Reid soaring above the production of each song.

Romy Madley Croft is excitedly telling me that her and the rest of The xx are planning to arrive to New Zealand several days before their show, so that they can properly explore the country - and rightly so, it’s the bands first show in eight years in NZ, the last time they were here was a short trip on the Laneway Festival circuit.

Speaking to us on the phone after a busy day spent hanging out with his bandmate Dylan and his brand new (very adorable) puppy Lando, Emre Türkmen is equally enthused and bemused while discussing his new project Exit Kid and their self-titled debut EP. It’s a stretch from his usual output as part of Years & Years, but Exit Kid’s guitar-driven music has been enthusiastically received by fans, both old and new.

We spoke with Türkmen about the EP, the beginnings of Exit Kid, and exactly where that second Years & Years album is…

The National’s very own Scott Devendorf is very excited to return to New Zealand - gushing to me on the phone that he hopes to have spare time to explore the country, and describes their upcoming show at Auckland’s Villa Maria Winery next February as “idyllic.”

We spoke with Devendorf recently about the band's upcoming Auckland show, their new album ‘Sleep Well Beast’, and growing as a band…

...that is the connective tissue - dreamy spaces between the moments of the song.

Pond’s performance at next year’s Laneway Festival will mark their first appearance since playing in support of the Arctic Monkeys back in 2014 - and with new album ‘The Weather’ under their belt, the band are in their prime.

We spoke with the band’s frontman Nick Allbrook about returning to New Zealand, their new album, and more…

...it’s like you’ve won round #20,000 of the creative Battle Royale, you’ve gone against all your instincts telling you that you’re total shit, and eventually it actually sounds good.

Having remixed the likes of Justin Timberlake’s ‘Suit & Tie’, Tinashe’s ‘2 On’, and Jessie Ware’s ‘Keep On Lying’, as well as releasing her own albums (the latest being 2017’s ‘Lune Rouge’), and owning her own record label Young Art, TOKiMONSTA (Jennifer Lee) is one busy producer and DJ.

We spoke with TOKiMONSTA about her new album ‘Lune Rouge’, playing Laneway Festival, and her adorable cat Misha…