History
The band was formed in early 2019 when friends Daniel Vernon and Christian Pianta, who had recently moved to Wellington, submitted the fictional band name "DARTZ" as a joke application to open for Australian punk band The Chats. [3] When DARTZ were unexpectedly confirmed as the Wellington support act, Vernon and Pianta recruited Clark Mathews and Hakopa Kuka-Larsen to complete the lineup. With two weeks to prepare, the group quickly wrote a set of original material, and after a positive reception they made the decision to continue performing [4] .
DARTZ released their debut single "40 Riddiford Street" later in 2019 [5] , followed by a string of independently distributed tracks and consistent touring around New Zealand [3] . In 2021, the band received national recognition when their song "Bathsalts" was nominated for the APRA Silver Scroll award. [6]
In 2022, DARTZ signed to Flying Nun Records and released their debut album "The Band From Wellington, New Zealand", which included songs written for their initial performance [7] . The album received a positive reception for its blend of punk energy and local storytelling, and was supported by touring across New Zealand and Australia. [7] The band followed up in 2024 with their second album "Dangerous Day To Be A Cold One", which debuted at number one in the official New Zealand Album Charts and remained number one across multiple non-consecutive weeks [1] [8] . The record was praised by Rolling Stone Australia for its "great wit, honest storytelling, and effortless ensemble work," [9] and was a finalist for the 2025 Taite Music Prize [2] . In the same year, DARTZ won Best Rock Artist and Best Music Video Content at the annual Aotearoa Music Awards. [10]
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