Messed!Up
Borderline is what happens when four best friends grow up making music together and never stop. The band channels deep connection into a sound that’s as expansive as it is intimate. That chemistry powers the band and fuels every note of their genre-blurring sound.
The band – Ben Glanfield (guitar, vocals, keys), Jackson Boswell (drums, vocals), Matthew McFadden (lead guitar), and Max Harries (bass) – has been making music together in some form since childhood. Whether they’re delivering a funkified groove, a hands-in-the-air anthem, or an irresistible pop banger, the result always sounds uniquely their own.
Formed in Auckland, the band began building momentum with their debut single Spinning and breakout Perfect Movie Scene EP in 2023. They’ve since earned millions of streams, achieved chart success and played shows across the globe. In 2024, they left school to pursue music full-time, a decision quickly
validated by their signing to Empire.
2025 marked a major step forward. Borderline made their U.S. debut with six buzzed-about sets at SXSW, followed by headline shows in New York and Los Angeles. They went on to make their UK debut at The Great Escape, with additional performances in Brighton and London, and appeared in Brisbane and Sydney as part of Rolling Stone Australia’s Local Legends live series.
That year also saw the release of the Chrysalis EP, a body of work that moves fluidly between funk-infused grooves, pop hooks, and hands-in-the-air anthems. “New Romance” became the band’s first #1 on the New Zealand Hot 20, spending 14 weeks at #1 on the Radioscope NZ Music Chart, and earning BBC Introducing Track of the Week. Every track on the EP charted in the Hot 20, while the release also appeared on the Aotearoa Album Charts and the US’ NACC200. Additional singles “When It’s Raining” and “Heartbeat” landed on key DSP playlists including New Music Friday, New in Pop, and Alt Pop, and gained radio support across Australia (Triple J, SYN), the UK (BBC Radio 1, student radio), and U.S. college stations.
In September, the band returned to Australia to perform at BigSound 2025, with Happy Mag proclaiming ‘Kiwi indie-pop quartet Borderline proved why they’re one of New Zealand’s most exciting exports, delivering three standout performances across the festival.’ They later opened for Teddy Swims
on his New Zealand arena tour, before kicking off a summer of touring and festivals.
Borderline’s momentum has continued into 2026. The year opened with three singles charting simultaneously on the Radioscope NZ Music Chart, followed by new releases “Tainted” (January) and “Watching It Burn” (March), and an extensive North American tour locked in for April.
On 26 June, they release their self-titled debut album and set off for a European tour, including four dates in Germany.
DATES
- 17 August at Mikropol, Berlin
- 18 August at Live Evil, München
- 19 August at Molotow, Hamburg
- 20 August at Blue Shell, Köln
