Indie rock band The Beths will take us on a narrative tour of their dying specialist field on June 04th at Berlin’s FRANNZ Club.
The Beths are no strangers to Berlin. Heading the long way from Auckland, New Zealand, they’ve played Berlin annually – when Covid allowed it – since 2018, around the time their debut record Future Me Hates Me was released. A tight, introspective, guitar driven LP, it received excellent reviews from critics and charted at #19 in RM New Zealand. The four original band members bonded at University of Auckland, where they took classes together, majoring in jazz. Former drummer Ivan Luketina-Johnston performed in a swing band before becoming part of The Beths, where the other three members formed the backing band. The Beths were established in 2014 and released their first works, the single Idea/Intent and the EP Warm Blood independently shortly after.
In 2018, The Beths announced they signed with Carpark Records (Beach House, Speedy Ortiz) in the US and Dew Process (Bloc Party, WAAX) in Australia, who would distribute their debut Future Me Hates Me internationally. The record established the primary lyric writer Elizabeth Stokes as a novel, heart-on-sleeve voice in the indie scene, speaking to us about her grief, young love, and disheartening relationships.
Future Me Hates Me was followed by Jump Rope Gazers, released in 2020. The sophomore record was written on the road in-between long touring sessions and deals with the success and changes The Beths experienced after the release of their first LP. What began as a passion project quickly turned into a profession, as the band left their hometown for prolonged periods of time to tour Europe and North America extensively, playing to large crowds of fans as they were supporting The Pixies or Death Cab For Cutie. Stokes describes this period of the band’s life as “just missing people all the time”. Through the grief and loss, The Beths did their best to support each other and zoom in on the love they felt for their friends at home. Released during lockdown, Jump Rope Gazers is a heartfelt reminder of what’s really most important in life.
The Beths are back on the road promoting their third full-length, Expert in a Dying Field. A record, according to the band, created to experience live. Stokes’ expert field are her relationships; here, she narrates the intimacy she has created with people, as well as the loss their ghosts left in her life. Expert peaked at #1 in the New Zealand album charts and #80 in Australia. It was hailed as one of the best albums of the year by BrooklynVegan, Pitchfork, and Stereogum, among others.
The band has been on the road for most of the year, playing prolific Laneway Festival and touring across the US. Their UK/EU tour kicks off on May 24th in Bristol, takes them to Dublin, Barcelona, and the Wilwarin Festival in Ellerdorf before playing three exclusive shows in Germany in Berlin, Hamburg, and Cologne. The Beths will be supported by Lande Hekt for most of their tour. Also a member of Muncie Girls, Hekt released her first solo record in 2020. This will be her first tour in mainland Europe since launching her debut full-length. In Germany, Na Noise will be The Beths’ second support. The fuzz pop duo from Auckland began their project in 2019, writing songs to “ugly dance and ugly cry to”. Make sure to catch the excellent line-up at FRANNZ Club on June 4th!
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