For any band from NZ, touring North America is the dream. For Borderline that dream became reality in April 2026. The band – Ben Glanfield (guitar, vocals, keys), Jackson Boswell (drums, vocals), Matthew McFadden (lead guitar), and Max Harries (bass, sax) – embarked on a 14-date run across the United States and Canada, playing to a fan base that has been steadily building there over the last few years.

The band’s first EP ‘Perfect Movie Scene’ landed on the North America College & Community radio chart (NACC200) in 2024. Momentum accelerated with their signing to US label Empire in late 2025, marking a major step forward for the band. Shortly after signing, Borderline made their US live debut playing six showcases at SXSW in 2025, before heading to New York and Los Angeles to play their first headline shows.

This tour was put together by Borderline’s North America booking agent at The Team. Travelling coast to coast in a tour bus with a tour manager and a front of house engineer, the band shared a double bill with US act Oceanic (Charlotte, North Carolina) and had support from local openers in each city. Oceanic backlined a tour kit, and Borderline’s FOH, Theo Turner mixed both bands.

Walking on stage at The Echo in Los Angeles, Borderline’s excitement to kick off their tour was palpable. A lot of hard work and preparation by the band and their team had led to this moment. A North Amercian tour is a big investment, the costs of obtaining visas, flights, and getting around once on the ground are significant. Borderline was fortunate to have some support from the NZ Music Commission through Outward Sound funding for this USA and Canada tour in support of their new album (due to be released in June).

From the moment they played the intro to the first song it was clear that Borderline was on stage to provide audiences with a night to remember. That energy carried right through to the last at Songbyrde Music House in Washington DC. Not just playing the songs from the EPs and the singles from the upcoming album, but engaging with the audience and taking them on a journey. Fans showed up for the experience at every venue. Some had travelled more than six hours to attend a gig, others followed the band and bought tickets to watch them play in multiple cities.

“Going to places for the first time, halfway across the world from where we live and meeting fans that have been listening to us for years, it feels pretty surreal!

“And we are lucky because we’re four best friends travelling around in the States, just seeing the coolest places. There are so many talented people in NZ, and the hardest thing is trying to break out in territories like the States, the U.K., and Europe, because they’re so far away. There are not many people that are able to make that huge trek and get their feet on the ground in these places.”

Some standout moments on the road have included playing iconic venues such as The House of Blues in San Diego and Shubas Tavern in Chicago, where acts like John Mayer, Bruno Mars, Vampire Weekend and The Lumineers played early in their careers.

A real highlight was playing to a crowd of fans in the band’s label home, San Francisco, with the label team in the room and wearing outfits thrifted that day from a Big Time Vintage on Haight Street. Returning to New York was also a special moment with an enthusiastic crowd packing into the Mercury, a proving ground for The Strokes and Kanye West before their major breakthroughs.

Playing in Canada for the first time, in Vancouver and Toronto, meant a few extra border crossings and a few additional pages needed in the carnet. But a great opportunity to meet fans in a new country. North America is a vast expanse of land and long driving days on tour were common, bringing landscape and weather changes along the way. Snow in Montana. Hunkering down in a tornado shelter in Milwaukee while the warning sirens were blaring!

At each show, Max’s sax solo in Watching It Burn created a real moment, while performances of That Girl ahead of its release on 1 May generated a solid response from fans excited to get a taste of music to come.

The longest drive between venues (from Seattle to Minneapolis) took three days! At the same time, those stretches created unexpected moments.

A roadside stop for dinner at The Old Post in Montana meant catching a local bluegrass band playing a set, while drives through places like Spearfish Canyon in South Dakota offered a rare chance to take in the scale of the landscape. Along the way, the band also ticked off iconic sights including Mount Rushmore and Niagara Falls. The real benefit of travelling by bus was that it allowed us to rest well between shows, a crucial part of staying functional on the road.

By the final dates, the tour stock of vinyl had sold out, a clear sign that the connection was real and growing. At the end of April Borderline returned home, where Aotearoa Music Awards nominations for Best Pop Artist, alongside Lorde and Benee, as well as Breakthrough Artist underline the progress made both abroad and at home.

The band have already announced they will be heading back onto foreign soil soon, with tour plans for Australia in July, and festivals in Europe in August. No doubt North America will feature again soon as the foundations have been laid to be living the dream.