Electronic Press Kit
About Us
Trouble with Normal is a three-piece alt-indie band from Ōtautahi Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand.
Background
Originally formed decades ago in the smoky rooms of student bars and late-night venues, the band’s first chapter was brief.
Life then scattered the members to careers, families, and far-off places. The fire never fully went out though, and in 2024 that spark roared back to life.
Revival
Older now, and a bit creakier, Trouble with Normal has a new drummer and is back onstage and recording for the first time.
Turning up with worn-in low-slung guitars, amps running warm, and a renewed appetite for making joyful noise, while hoping the neighbours don’t complain.
Their new songs carry the spark of rediscovery, wrapped in their own brand of short, sharp, quirky indie pop. The late-night swagger of Are You Ready Now sits alongside the existential shrug of I’m Not Sure and the celebration of timeless beauty in Near North.
Every track was written and fuelled by equal parts excitement, stubbornness, and the collective decision to stop talking about making music and just make it.
Age is but a number
Yes, we are a dad band. Proudly so.
The truth is simple: you can have kids, mortgages, and creaking backs, early starts, and still show up to rehearsal like you’re 22 with nothing to lose.
Playing in a band isn’t just for the young. It’s for anyone who still feels that little internal switch flip when a guitar cable clicks into place.
Whether you’re 15 or 55, step in close — it’s never too early or too late to make a bit of noise and have some fun.
Single
Following the success of I’m Not Sure, which reached No. 1 on the 98.5 RDU Top Ten, Christchurch indie trio Trouble with Normal return with their next single, Are You Being Served.
Listen above or download a copy for yourself in the required format below.
“Are You Being Served” takes listeners on an elevator ride through the issues shaping modern society. From healthcare and education to justice, climate, poverty and the rising cost of living, each floor reveals another reminder of the promises, pressures and divisions that surround us.
Countering the lead vocal is the voice of the lift operator, calmly announcing a darker inventory of fear, corruption, surveillance, lies and abuse of power. Together they create an unsettling conversation between the everyday concerns of ordinary people and the forces that often lurk behind political rhetoric.
With driving guitars, infectious hooks and a healthy dose of irony, Are You Being Served doesn’t tell you what to think, who to follow, or how to cast your vote. Instead, it asks a simple question that resonates regardless of where you stand:
“Are you being served by the leaders that we choose?”
As with all Trouble with Normal songs, it’s wrapped in catchy, quirky indie pop, leaving listeners to decide for themselves whether the lift is heading somewhere better… or simply going up.
Barry Neale – guitar/vocals
Antony Dunn – bass
Sven Textor – drums
Recorded : 22nd June 2025 @953
Engineer : Alister George
Mix/Mastering : Alister George
IRSC : NZRI12602610
Video
Single – I’m not sure
Listen above or download a copy for yourself in the required format below.
Official Video
“I’m Not Sure” is a restless snapshot of standing in the doorway of your own life, caught mid-step between the life you’re living and the ones you keep
imagining. Built around a looping refrain, the song hums with uncertainty. Late nights, half-made decisions, texts sent without thinking, and the
creeping suspicion that the grass only looks greener from a distance. It’s about standing still while your mind dances elsewhere, circling the same questions; have you stayed too long, left it too late, or is this uneasy moment exactly where you’re meant to be?
Musically, the track is an energetic Indie Rock/Alternative Rock burst, blending bright, guitar-driven indie sensibilities with anthemic alternative rock dynamics. Melodic riffs and surging power chords ride on a solid bass line, underpinning the harmony, locked in with punchy drums that keep the tension taut and the momentum rolling.
The track was recorded at Saltbox Studios as part of the Ōtautahi Music Access Programme (OMAP), capturing the band in that moment of time. Huge thanks to RDU 98.5FM, Saltbox Studios, Christchurch City Council, and Simon Claridge for taking our raw cacophony and giving the song space, clarity, and volume.
Barry Neale – guitar/vocals
Antony Dunn – bass/backing vocals
Sven Textor – drums/backing vocals
Recorded : 22nd June 2025 @SALTBox Studios
Mix/Mastering : Simon Claridge
Engineer : Tom Kepple
IRSC : NZRI12502389
The Band
Playing Live
Playing live is our happy place. We enjoy watching other bands, and getting to perform ourselves is something we love. Here’s a recent clip from a show at The Darkroom.
Facebook
SoundCloud
Bandcamp
Youtube
Spotify
Email
Website