Track: Bitter Defeat – The Light That Shines


Bitter Defeat hails from Kirikiriroa/Hamilton in the North Island of New Zealand and their debut single ‘The Light That Shines’ is an effervescent slice of classic New Zealand indie pop mixed with a Buzzcocks swagger and a rousing chorus.

Bitter Defeat consists of Rob Shirlow (Guitar, Vocals), Ben Manning
(Guitar, Backing vocals), Kathryn Thompson (Drums), Ian Duggan (Casiotone) and Julian White (Bass, Backing vocals), all with strong connections to the vibrant New Zealand indie scene.

According to Shurlow, singer, ‘The Light That Shines’

came about from messing around with a riff stored on my phone, coupled with some words that landed in my head when I was thinking about the last time, I saw my Nan. Nans are amazing people, aren’t they?
When you’re old enough to have really good questions to ask them, it’s too late. Ben came up with the main chorus line which was really great and we decided to try a duet type thing which works really well I think.

We think it works fantastically:

There is an absolutely delightful raw and low-fi simplicity yet euphoric delivery about the song – a youthful energy and assuredness from seasoned musicians.

You can get the single through the normal streaming services or, preferably, direct from the band itself. through the link below:

Keep an eye out for some more singles and an album later this year.

Previous Album Review: St. Ove - County Show
Next Meet: We have a chat with Babybird's Stephen Jones about that hit single, his creative process and the music industry. Plus we review his new album.

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