Today, The Beths announce their first live album,
Auckland, New Zealand, 2020, released on Carpark Records.
In March 2020, everything seemed on track for another huge year for The Beths.
Home after an 18-month northern hemisphere tour, they had just finished
recording sophomore album Jump Rope Gazers and were primed for more
extensive touring. But within days, New Zealand’s lockdown split the band
between three separate houses. All touring was cancelled. The band found an
outlet through live-streaming, returning to the DIY mentality of their early
days to connect with a global audience.
Auckland, New Zealand, 2020 begins with crowd screeches and bellows.
In a mid-pandemic world, playing to a heaving, enraptured home crowd feels
miraculous. We are so grateful that it happened and grateful to have it
documented with so much love and care, says lead vocalist and guitarist
Elizabeth Stokes.
Following the release of their second album Jump Rope Gazers in July
2020, The Beths won three Tui at the Aotearoa Music Awards, including the
coveted Te Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year. The group also won both Te
Roopu Toa | Best Group and Te Kaipuoro Manohi Toa | Best Alternative Artist for
the second year running.
Auckland, New Zealand, 2020 has its genesis in an urge to share the
now-rare experience of a live show as widely as possible. It’s a collective
exhalation, in one of the few countries where live music is still possible. They
deliberately include the date and location, because That’s the
sensational part of what we actually did, says lead guitarist
Jonathan Pearce.
Playing a home show still feels special for The Beths, and Auckland, New
Zealand, 2020 showcases the infectious energy the band bring to every
performance.