Celine Shares New Single ‘Nil Sinister’, and a Story of Mistaken Identity
Celine Shares New Single ‘Nil Sinister’, and a Story of Mistaken Identity
February 23rd, 2025
Tāmaki Makaurau trio Celine unleash ‘Nil Sinister’, the third single from their forthcoming album, Broken Like Z’s, which is due for release later this year.
Celine’s sound verges on chaos, with an off-kilter bottom end, yet they somehow keep it just this side of a musical apocalypse, thanks to Rob Lundon’s songcraft. The band drift in and out of catchy riffs, blending shoegaze/noise-rock with unorthodox tunings, bordering on post-punk experimental – but with melodies to burn.
Celine is Rob Lundon (guitar, vocals), Kirsten Smith: (bass) and Marty Doo (drums), with additional guitar on this track by the mighty David Mitchell (The 3Ds, Goblin Mix, Ghost Club and more).
‘Nil Sinister’ was born when Kirsten sent Rob a page of what he assumed were lyrics. They turned out to be a setlist from Ghost Club (David Mitchell’s former band with Denise Roughan and Jim Abbott). Rob thought the words were great, and had already written the song around them before realising their true origin.
Rob crafted these words into a very personal song about a friend’s cancer diagnosis, and their acceptance of the end (“cold embrace, cold and grey”). But this story has a happy ending, so far. “Nil sinister” is a medical term meaning “nothing sinister found”, and Rob’s friend has been cleared of the active cancer.