The Beths

THECHECK-IN T H E B E T H S

Liz Stokes fills in Sarah Illingworth about life on the road in Europe and drops some info on the new record

AFTER TWO years of delays, Auckland indie faves The Beths have finally been able to hit the road internationally — revisiting fans everywhere from Minneapolis to Manchester.

“We’ve had some of these shows booked since 2020 and rescheduled several times, so we’re stoked to finally play them,” says frontperson Liz Stokes of the 45-date tour. “I mean, it’s extremely strange too. A weird time to be touring but we’re grateful to be working again. We’re trying to make the most of our moment of touring now.”

The four-piece are known and loved for their expert yet accessible pop tunes — such as current single A Real Thing — that have won them a following around the world, and mean they can now sell out headliner shows at venues like New York City’s Webster Hall.

“We’re so lucky that our audience hasn’t forgotten about us or moved on, that the world is still here for us, even though we’ve been away so long,” Stokes remarks from Europe. “We just played our first Italian show in Milan, and it was such a blast. I learned as much Italian as I could in the van on the way, which was very little, but we got by.”

While aspects of the return to touring have been exhausting, particularly after the slow pace of lockdowns in Aotearoa, Stokes says the experience has also brought moments of euphoria, with performing live continuing to prove her highlight.

Then, of course, there’s the pandemic: “It affects everything constantly. We managed to do the entire US tour without any cancellations, then in the UK a month later we barely made it a couple of days before we had to postpone some shows due to Covid. Every place has a different approach and is at a different stage, and we have to be sensitive to people’s expectations, as well as true to our own idea of what is safe. It’s very much touring in hard mode.”

Now they’ve finally been able to tour 2020‘s award-winning record Jump Rope Gazers, and with a new album on the horizon later this year, Stokes promises The Beths will “certainly play some magical shows in NZ, sometime in 2022”.

“We have been recording the next album at [guitarist] Jonathan Pearce’s studio on Karangahape Rd,” she continues, hinting at the release. “Jonathan produces and mixes but also is collaborating with Bevan Smith [Introverted Dancefloor, Glass Vaults] on mixing, as well as with Oliver Devlin [Hans Pucket]. But I mean, so many people have helped and lent gear and ears. We’re lucky to be a part of a great music community.”

Describing the current time as a “golden age”, she recommends checking out the likes of Reb Fountain, Pickle Darling, Fable, Sure Boy, and Phoebe Rings, and shouts out Whammy Bar, Wine Cellar, and Neck of the Woods as great local venues in the band’s hometown.

“The music that comes out of Aotearoa is world-class and, whatever your taste is, if you’re not exploring it you are likely missing out on something you’d really love that is right on your doorstep.”

‘‘We’re so lucky that our audience hasn’t forgotten about us.

The Beths in Prague; left, soundcheck in Copenhagen. Photos / Benjamin Sinclair

● Keep up with The Beths on tour — and their scrummy breakfasts — at bassist Benjamin Sinclair’s fantastic tour blog, breakfastandtravelupdates.com.