Music Industry News

A bittersweet and uplifting alt-pop single exploring grief, renewal, and the quiet power of transformation.

Waiheke-based singer-songwriter Sophie Aston returns with her latest single, ‘Stardust’. Originally from the UK, Sophie has spent years performing across Tāmaki Makaurau both solo and with her band. ‘Stardust’ marks a continuation of her journey as an artist, sharing deeply personal and reflective material with audiences.

Produced, mixed, and mastered by Scott Seabright at his home studio, ‘Stardust’ inhabits the strange, quiet space that grief leaves behind. Where colour slowly returns to the world but feels unfamiliar. The song explores shedding old skins, reconnecting with your body, and finding meaning in pain. Fire runs through the track not as destruction, but as a force of renewal, like a phoenix rising or the heat that clears space for new growth. Moving through natural imagery, ‘Stardust’ presents grief as a turning point rather than an ending, and the delicate, sometimes uncomfortable process of choosing to live again. Its closing message is a gentle reminder that we’re all made from stardust, and becoming something new is part of the cycle.

“‘Stardust’ is about the quiet work of moving forward after loss,” says Sophie. “It’s about finding yourself again, and remembering that even through pain, there’s space for renewal and hope.”

With the release of her debut single ‘Better’, Sophie was featured on 13th Floor, invited to play live-to-air with KiwiRadio, and playlisted on local radio. She was also featured on muzic.nz, Roots, and Welcome to the Gig, establishing her presence as an emerging voice in New Zealand’s music scene.

Following the release of ‘Stardust’, Sophie will be showcasing both released and unreleased material at her release show in April, as well as an opening slot for Tiki Taane with his One-Man-Band show on Waiheke Island. She will also continue developing new material that builds on the themes introduced in ‘Stardust’, with an EP in progress.

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Sophie Aston is a singer-songwriter from the UK, now based on Waiheke Island, New Zealand, whose music blends raw emotion with a bold rock/pop sensibility. After five years performing in a covers band, she has stepped into her own voice, drawing on a lifetime of musical influences—from her father’s classic rock records to her mother’s love of poetry and storytelling. Sophie’s songs are honest and introspective, capturing the tension between vulnerability and strength, and reflecting her journey of embracing her creativity, speaking her truth, and sharing it with the world.