Bursting into the Auckland alternative music scene in 2021, Ringlets quickly built a solid reputation as providing the freshest and most interesting post punk-reminiscent sound heard locally in a long time, even ahead of their self-titled 2023 debut album.
Ringlets is an amalgam of talent, with the highly skilled rhythm section of drummer Arlo Grey, and Arabella Poulson (bass and vocals), backing chief songwriter László Reynolds on guitar, and vocalist Leith Towers.
Released in June 2025, ‘The Lord Is My German Shepherd (Time For Walkies)’ is the textbook definition of what a sophomore album should be. Produced by the band themselves, with the aid of Michael Logie (The Mint Chicks), the album was mixed at Abbey Road Studios in London by fellow Kiwi Isaac Keating.
Ringlets keep their own tongue-in-cheek, intensely alternative take on post-punk ringing through clearly in the album, with jazzy drums, sparkly riffs and melodic vocals. But there’s no shying shy away from making their songs feel gritty and raw, with rough, intense guitar and drums and emo-reminiscent vocals on some tracks, like at the end of Half an Idiot. This blended offering serves as reminder that they’re an acclaimed live band too.
Recently added to the Flying Nun roster, Ringlets have a quite unique sound, and with this sophomore album have opened it further with new soundscapes utilising different ideas and techniques. Immediately noticeable features include softer, cleaner tones on the guitar and more intricate drums, with some fun and captivating usage of time signatures and fills. They play around with dynamics, shifting quickly from that softness to a screaming frenzy, their quirkily-named songs telling fascinating stories, with lyrics that dive headfirst into emotive topics while still keeping the racy, raucous wit that sets them apart.
This shines through in opening track (and one of the album’s standout songs), Posh Girl Holds a Whip, as we’re led into the song with a suspense-filled steady drumbeat and almost twinkly lead guitar. It builds steadily into a roaring, overdrive-filled chorus, but as elsewhere the recording clarity means the guitar doesn’t overpower the vocals. Towers specialises in throwing in witty, fun lyrics – “Private education just couldn’t iron / out kinks in leathery hide,” – without taking away any of the intense scene the song creates.
The album follows itself perfectly, each of the 10 tracks almost blending into the last, and each instrument lending itself to each song. Adding new elements to the band’s sound broadens the unique flair they already possessed, further defining the four-piece as pioneers on Aotearoa’s alternative landscape.
The quality of production further reinforces the sense that clear thought and decision-making went into each song, yet rather than sounding overproduced it’s quite the opposite. ‘The Lord Is My German Shepherd (Time For Walkies)’ is a raw, heavily emotive, and almost ethereal at times listening experience, and fans of Ringlets’ clever post punk sound are sure to be delighted with this release.
