Aro Release New Single ‘Mundane’ & Continue the Journey Toward Their Forthcoming Concept Album, Tāwauwau
Aro Release New Single ‘Mundane’ & Continue the Journey Toward Their Forthcoming Concept Album, Tāwauwau
February 13th, 2026
On February 13th, Te Tiriti-based duo Aro return with ‘Mundane’ – a rock n roll’ esk, unflinching reflection, on loving the kaupapa, but not always the repetitivity. This latest release from the talented duo, beautifully follows the shimmering hope of first single, ‘Puna Ora’.
Released alongside an evocative music video, ‘Mundane’ explores the cycles of everyday life – the repetitive rhythms people get stuck in, and the deep yearning to break free.
It’s about believing deeply in the kaupapa, yet finding ourselves caught in behaviours that hold us back from truly growing.
“The song is about that tension, when we see the same rhythms repeating – in others, in ourselves – and feel the ache of wanting to move forward, to grow, but getting stuck in the mundane.”
The accompanying video, set in a roller skating rink, brings this theme to life – contrasting the monotony of routine with moments of exaggerated, childlike play. It’s a visual metaphor for release and reconnection, inviting us to rediscover joy and freedom within the everyday.
Aro, Charles (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua, Ngāti Mutunga) and Emily Looker, are a multi-award-winning Te Tiriti-based duo whose sound traverses pop, jazz, folk, soul, and haka-infused motifs. Their work is anchored in the values of kaitiakitanga and manaakitanga – caring for ourselves, each other, and the natural world.
With their signature blend of reo Māori and English, woven through indie-soul textures and haunting harmonies, Mundane builds on the sonic world first opened in Puna Ora. Where Puna Ora glimmers with hope, Mundane sits in the wrestle – the in-between of ideal and reality.
Written while living full-time on the road with their tamariki, in their caravan, ‘Mundane’ captures both the stillness and the motion of that life. Journeying between the magical and the mundane, exploring the struggle to hold onto beauty, hope, and wonder amidst the weight of real life.
The songs that make up forthcoming album Tāwauwau, often emerged in the quiet moments on the road, after long days of travel and whānau rhythms – reflections on faith, community, and the unseen habits that shape us all.
‘Mundane’ is out on all streaming platforms on February 13th, 2026, and is the second release off their forthcoming concept album Tāwauwau (out March 20th, 2026). Aro will also be performing a single release show on Saturday February 14th, as a part of Music in the Parks in Tamaki Makaurau in the Domain Rotunda.
Aro are extremely grateful to Te Māngai Pāho for supporting the making of this project.
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Aro, Charles (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua, Ngāti Mutunga) and Emily Looker, are a multi-award winning Te Tiriti-based duo whose artistry blends te reo Māori and English, weaving together jazz, folk, soul, and RnB influences. Their work is anchored in the values of kaitiakitanga and manaakitanga – caring for ourselves, each other, and the natural world.
Over Easter 2025, Aro, stepped into a new chapter of their lives, packing up their Pukekohe home and moving into their custom-fitted Rugged Kiwi caravan and hitting the road with their two tamariki to live a life centred around whānau, community, bicultural connection, adventure, and legacy.
It was during this time, often in the quiet of the night, while their tamariki slept, where ideas that had sprung to mind during the day, at play, in Aotearoa’s magical outdoors – that these new creations began to come to life.
With their signature blend of contemporary indie-folk, soul and haka-infused motifs, Aro invite listeners into a soundscape that feels both magical and grounded – a glimpse of the fantastical world of Tāwauwau – a place beyond perception.
Their forthcoming concept album, Tāwauwau, is a body of work inspired by life on the road with their young whānau, and the wonder, weight, and yearning that travel stirred up.
At the heart of it all is whānau. Their 4 year old daughter, and almost 2 year old son travel with them, making Aro as much a story of family as it is of music. Their songs carry that sense of intimacy — a reminder of the magic glimpsed as children, and the responsibility of carrying it forward for generations to come.