There’s a certain kind of energy that can’t be manufactured. You either believe a band still has something left to say, or you don’t. With Falling Into You, Tadpole sound like a band with unfinished business and the firepower to back it up.
Released May 15, the new single continues the momentum that has surrounded Tadpole since their return in 2024. But this doesn’t feel like nostalgia or a band revisiting old ground. Falling Into You sounds urgent, focused and alive – a reminder of why Tadpole became one of the defining names in New Zealand rock in the first place.
Driven by Chris Yong’s powerful guitar work, Lauren Marshall’s commanding vocal performance and a darker electronic undercurrent running beneath it all, the track hits with real intent. There’s tension in it, but also melody and restraint. It captures the feeling of falling unexpectedly into love – disorienting, consuming and impossible to stop once it takes hold.
The foundations of the song came together during a jam session between Yong and drummer Dean Lawton, sparked by a drum-and-bass inspired rhythm and improvised guitar riffs that quickly found momentum. From there, the track evolved naturally, with Marshall shaping the lyrics and melodies, while DJ Kritikl added the textures and scratches that help give the song its edge.
Most of Falling Into You was recorded at Old North Studios in Kumeū, the studio of Boh Runga and Troy McKubre, with additional bass tracks recorded in Greymouth while the band were performing at the Hokitika Wildfoods Festival. It feels fitting for a band that seem to be creating wherever the momentum takes them.
Mixed by Tiki Taane and mastered by Chris Chetland, the single balances raw energy with clarity and weight. Taane says working on the track was “a blast”, praising the balance between the band’s intensity and Marshall’s vocal presence. “Stoked to see Tadpole back and firing on all cylinders,” he says.
Formed in Auckland in 1994, Tadpole helped define an era of local rock through landmark releases The Buddhafinger and The Medusa. Their return has already seen packed anniversary shows and major festival appearances alongside Good Charlotte, Highly Suspect and Yellowcard at the Auckland Domain, proving the live energy hasn’t faded with time. If anything, it now lands with more confidence and purpose.
Falling Into You doesn’t sound like a band looking backwards. It sounds like a band fully locked into what comes next.
Falling Into You is available now on all major streaming platforms.