New Music & Video Release - bad for education swag and sincerity on 'Close My Eyes' - 7th November 2025
Photo Credit - Tak Soropa
Artist Name - bad for education
Release Name - Close My Eyes
Release Date - 7th November 2025
Genre - Surf Rock, Punk Rock, Rock n Roll
Label - Independent
Independent surf and punk rock outfit bad for education have stormed back onto the Tāmaki Makaurau music scene with a killer new track, ‘Close My Eyes’.
Just under three minutes of rollicking rock ‘n’ roll, ‘Close My Eyes’ is a riff-driven tune about love and mortality, “and finding the hope in both”, says bad for education’s William Walker.
“I wrote the song originally in 2020 during Covid. I had just moved to Wairoa from Auckland to run and own an organic orange juice business. I had so much time to write music between juicing oranges and selling juice. And I gradually refined the song over the next five years.”
“Writing music in Wairoa helped me deal with grief as my father, Paul Walker [a music industry figure] was passing away in Auckland at the time from PPA,” adds William.
Co-produced by multi-instrumentalist William and Chequered Patterns, ‘Close My Eyes’ also features Sinisha Milkovic on bass and Corbin Khutze on drums, and it is the first new music from bad for education since 2023.
Packed with style, swagger and sincerity, and a vibe reminiscent of New Zealand’s 80s indie and alt rock scene, the song shines a light on one of Aotearoa’s most exciting and original independent acts. Helping to convey the song’s message is a video made by Ashley Pitman from Pitman Films.
“‘Close My Eyes’ is about Heaven and Hell, and Earth being in the middle of it all, and how truly wonderful life can be… sometimes haha! The music video is directed by Ashley Pitman and references The Myth of Sisyphus, who was made to carry a boulder up a mountain forever. It’s a really cool video!” says William, who received support from NZ on Air’s Pan-Asia fund to create the song and video.
The artwork for the single, photographed by Tak Soropa, with Lola Key on graphic design, also comes with deep and personal meaning.
“It’s a reference to a Tom Jones album, THE GREEN GREEN GRASS OF HOME. My father loved this song. I’ve been listening to it again this year, I love it too! The album cover resonated with me. I loved the green font and the border,” says William.