Music Industry News

Pōneke-based alt-rock outfit Dropper are set to release their debut album Be a Little Kinder on November 21st via Bigpop’s boutique label Particle Recordings.

Be a Little Kinder draws upon the feeling of hopelessness, confusion and being stuck in unhealthy thought patterns, “It’s angry and frustrated, masked behind happier melodies”, says guitarist and lead vocalist Jude Savage. Across the album’s eleven tracks, Dropper showcases their ability to take pop melodies and polished songwriting and distort them to the point of becoming agitated; the kind of songwriting reminiscent of the early 00’s American alternative scene.

Dropper’s music carries both the weight of loss and the urgency of renewal. The band’s name pays homage to the Aotearoa, Wellington-based four-piece, Bleeding Star, whose album ‘Dropper’, was the third and final project guitarist Otis Hill played on before passing away due to a rare cancer in 2024 at the age of 17. For Bleeding Star members Jude Savage and Carlos Bellamy, music continues to be a very important part of their lives, so in the summer of ‘24, Savage and songwriter River Hann-Ellen (Debt Club) began working on what would become Dropper (the band).

The project quickly became a vessel of resilience and an emotional outlet. Savage’s writing, taking inspiration from the likes of Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü) and Greg Dulli (Afghan Whigs), found new strength in Hann-Ellen’s intricate arrangements, merging raw and unfiltered sounds with an alty, hardcore-adjacent restlessness. Joined by new members, Dropper has taken final form as: Savage on vocals and guitar, Bellamy (guitar), Walter Martin (drums) and Toby Gracewood-Easther (bass). ‘The music is constant, we’re all going to want to keep playing. I want to be a 70-year-old rocker’ – Jude Savage.

Be a Little Kinder’s focus track, ‘Anchor’, opens the project and sets the tone for the rest of the album; “The idea behind Anchor is to keep moving forward. The instrumental barely ever repeats itself. The song is about staying put when maybe you shouldn’t, and it feels like a whole lot of bottled-up feelings being released.” – says Savage. ‘Anchor’ is also one of the band’s favourite tracks to play live, if you have ever had the chance to see Dropper, you’ll know, “the breakdown is the moment in the set when anything goes. The drum kit normally falls apart, and all the guitars start squealing with feedback.” The energy is simply unmatched.

Audiences and critics have embraced Dropper’s intensity: “high energy stage performances punctuated by flawless musicianship and songwriting skills that seem beyond their years,” wrote Daniel O’Brien from MuzicNZ. Since their first shows, Dropper have supported There’s A Tuesday (NZ), shame (UK), Office Dog (NZ), Twine (AUS), Wunderhorse (UK), and The Lemonheads (USA). Dropper will be showcasing the release live across four Aotearoa stages before the end of 2025.

Be A Little Kinder – Album Release Mini Tour

Wellington – Meow, November 21 (Album release show).

Whanganui – Porridge Watson, November 28 (supporting Model Home, Yon Loader and Pining Radiata).

Auckland – The Others Way Festival, November 29 (headlining the all-ages stage).

Twisted Frequency Music Festival – December 30th to January 3rd.

Dropper stands as proof that out of heartbreak can come beauty, power, and a renewed sense of purpose. Their songs resonate because they’re lived-in, honest, and human, and the friendship between the members, paired with their commitment to the music, strongly carries through in their performances and songwriting. ‘Everyone genuinely really likes each other in the band, which I think shows on stage.’ – Toby Gracewood-Easther “It’s really refreshing, just a band focusing on something simple – as Jude would say, to serve the song. We’re not trying to prove anything to each other, it’s really song-based music.” – Walter Martin.

Physical CDs and T-shirts will be available to purchase via Bandcamp or at Dropper shows alongside the release, as well as an ‘Anchor’ music video premiering on YouTube on release day.

“I hope people can find something to relate to in the lyrics and enjoy the intricate instrumentals. I would love it if someone obsessed over the record as much as I’ve obsessed over other New Zealand bands’ records.” – Jude Savage

Check out all things DROPPER below:
Bandcamp
Instagram
YouTube
Spotify