Music Industry News

Following her 2025 Smokefreerockquest Solo/Duo win, alternative folk artist Sahara will release her haunting debut single ‘Turcot‘ on Tuesday 14 July. The release is accompanied by a music video arriving Friday 17 July, created as part of her Rockquest prize with support from NZ On Air.

Sahara’s music blends delicate acoustic textures with raw emotional honesty, drawing inspiration from folk traditions and the stripped-back grit of acoustic grunge. Originally from Waikato and now based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington), Sahara’s songwriting is fragile, intimate and intensely evocative.

Written from a place of vulnerability, ‘Turcot’ explores the effects of power, control and mental health. Sahara explains:

“Turcot is about a fear of the dark, and all things within it. The “beast” in the song is a metaphor for the people in our lives who threaten and hold power over us.”

Directed and edited by Ethan Alderson-Hughes, the ‘Turcot’ music video places us in a dreamlike and gothic atmosphere. Throughout, we are haunted by a presence taking the form of a pair of hands, controlling and holding us.

FFO: Elliott Smith, Adrianne Lenker, Red House Painters. NZ On Air-supported music video and debut single.

Check out all things Sahara below:
Instagram
YouTube
Bandcamp

Photo credit: Bayley Broome-Peake