Guardian Singles

New Zealand's Guardian Singles channel an alternately fierce and melodic strain of contemporary indie rock that extends the lineage of guitar-driven predecessors such as Mission of Burma, the Wipers, and Hüsker Dü. Their self-titled debut appeared in 2020, after which the quartet sharpened both studio polish and onstage intensity for the follow-up, Feed Me to the Doves, issued in 2023.

The project originated in 2015 when guitarist and vocalist Thom Burton, formerly of SoccerPractise and Moppy, aligned with drummer Fiona Campbell, previously active in Vivian Girls and Coasting. They assembled a five-piece that also featured synth player Madison Eve of Peach Milk, guitarist Durham Fenwick of Green Grove, and bassist Perry Mahoney of Civil Union. The ensemble performed regularly in Auckland, secured support slots with international acts, and completed a tour of Australia. In 2018 they committed their strongest live material to tape, including a version of the Sound's "Heartland." Subsequent personnel shifts saw Eve and Mahoney exit while Yolanda Fagan, known from Echo Ohs and Na Noise, assumed bass duties.

Moral Support released a limited pressing of the self-titled debut in early 2020. Trouble in Mind later reissued the album in July 2021. Around the same period the band began tracking its sophomore effort with engineer Steven Marr, achieving a clearer, more expansive rendering of its earlier raw textures. Feed Me to the Doves emerged in May 2023 on Trouble in Mind, marking the first release by the streamlined four-piece configuration that had spent several years refining its live sound.