bReview: Fazerdaze (Duo)
at Double Whammy, Saturday 16 August 2025
Written by Elle Daji
Photography by Milad Asadi
On a particularly grizzly day in Tāmaki Makaurau, a very many donned their winter coats to spend some time with Fazerdaze. Amelia Murray and bandmate Dave Rowlands stepped out for a special show at Double Whammy, prior to touring with the Pixies later this year. I was doubly excited as I had missed their show at The Powerstation in March, thanks to my hospo job. But there was to be no wine slinging tonight, just an evening spent in Fazerdaze’s indigo tinged world. What a treat!
Goodspace
Filling in for Louisa Nicklin as opener is Jeff Chen, the vocalist/guitarist of Goodspace. He thanks Fazerdaze not only for the opportunity to perform, but because tickets to tonight's show sold out too quickly. He notes that the “art stuff” only feels real when in front of an audience. The songs are sunny and buoyant for an album titled Let’s Talk About Death. However, I sense that’s the point. He speaks on their inventive album release at Lim Chour, where the songs off the album were presented as menu items for a make believe restaurant.
(Goodspace opening for Fazerdaze at Double Whammy / Photo: Milad Asadi)
Between sets, my friend and I blast PJ Harvey in my headphones, probably looking like idiots dancing along to the music no one else can hear. Midway through Down By The Water as the lights of the venue fade away.
Fazerdaze
Soft Power has been a record that sits with me in my quiet moments. It’s a collection of songs to go on a journey with. An emotionally devastating and complex work, it creates a sense of closeness with the listener. It’s been out just long enough to become more than a familiar acquaintance, in fact one of my closest friends.
The dim lights bloomed into a Soft Power shade of purple, as Fazerdaze walked on stage, both Amelia and Dave wearing loosely tailored oversized suits. They are so sleek and chic. The show opens with In Blue, I enjoy the symmetry when Amelia sings “I lost myself in blue” whilst the whammy is cast in a Joni Mitchell navy haze. Despite the upbeat pop sensibilities of the albums, the lyrics speak to a cuttingly emotional period of Amelia’s life. The juxtaposition creating a feeling of comfort through pain.
There are two main set ups of the stage. One where Amelia and Dave face each other and one where they look out to the audience. Clearly well rehearsed, the two move seamlessly between each set up.
(Fazerdaze at Double Whammy / Photo: Milad Asadi)
It’s then that I recognise the distinctive opening electronic synths, of A Thousand Years. Both Amelia and Dave face each other now. Disappearing into silhouettes, only visible when the lights flash bright white. It’s apt staging that reflects the sentiment of the track. The lyrics detail the monotonous grind of being a musician in the proverbial industry. A claustrophobic experience despite traveling around the world.
“Cause there’s no getting out of here / Play to the crowd till I disappear”
Amelia thanks the audience for selling out the show. Humbly mentioning that “a lot has happened since the last show,” at the Powerstation, likely referring to Soft Power’s win of Album of the Year, at the Aotearoa Music Awards. She notes that tonight’s show is largely to “iron out the kinks” before opening for Pixies. The dream opening spot might I add. She speaks with a lot of familiarity with the crowd, with a similar cadence to talking with close friends.
She next plays Come Apart followed by the title-track from the Break! EP released in 2022. Throughout the show, the dead-air is almost non-existent, with the space between songs filled with characteristically ambient synths and guitar. The whole show is polished, her years of performing clearly showing through in what is a cohesive and thoughtful performance.
It’s during Winter that I think to myself, what a good place a Fazerdaze show is to people watch. Looking around I see people familiarly singing the lyrics to themselves, but what sticks out to me is the expression copied and pasted on everyone’s face. It’s mesmerisation coloured by a sense of connection with the emotionally charged lyrics.
Fazerdaze’s career releasing music now spanning over a decade, her voice has been in listeners' lives for a substantial amount of time. Long enough for people to develop an intimate relationship with. Each distinct era of Fazerdaze’s music represents a period of the audience’s lives, just as it does for Amelia herself.
It’s then that Amelia takes “a moment to thank Whammy!” highlighting Rohan Evans’ win of the Independent Spirit Award at the Taite’s this year. Without spaces for fledgling musicians to perform, regardless of the number in the audience, there would be no Fazerdaze as we know it now. In fact, her first ever “terrible” and “shakey” gig was at the Wine Cellar. Self-depricatingly she states that “it’s still like that 10 years later,” although I don't think anyone in the audience is convinced of that statement.
(Fazerdaze at Double Whammy / Photo: Milad Asadi)
Personal highlights of the show include performances of the latest single Motorway. A song which is not only relatable for people that have felt like they are stuck in the jam of a relationship but commuters as well. Shout out to the 7:30AM southern motorway traffic, thank you for taking hours of my day and years off my life. It’s the heaviest guitar song of the lot, a much needed sonic catharsis between her more instrumentally mellow tracks.
“How this motorway weaves itself under me / I’m getting ready to leave / I’m getting ready to go”
There’s a brief pause after Motorway, before Amelia breaks into a smile and begins to sing So Easy. There’s a palpable sense of joy in the audience today… During Lucky Girl, I notice a few dad looking men dancing together just as my friend and I have been throughout the show. No one can escape the persuasive danceability of a Fazerdaze track.
15% of tonight's merch sales are going towards the Palestine relief fund, if the audience needed another reason to purchase merch, that was an important one.
The last song of the night is Bigger, and I’m in shock to notice that it’s been ninety minutes since the beginning of the set. A song that builds tension through a steady guitar line, fuzzed out with synths. She thanks the audience one last time and asks if we are having a good time. Amelia if you’re reading this, I can conclusively say I had a brilliant time. And from the look of awe on everyone’s face, they would say the exact same.
95bFM 
