New Music & Video Release - Play For Keeps makes a splash with 'Handsome Boy' - 13th February 2026
Artist Name - Play For Keeps
Release Name - Handsome Boy
Release Date - 13th January 2026
Genre - Indie, Indie Pop, Pop Rock
Label - Play For Keeps
Ōtautahi’s Play For Keeps have today released their official debut single ‘Handsome Boy’ - shining a light on one of Aotearoa’s most exciting ascending indie acts.
‘Handsome Boy’ is an indie-pop-rock gem that cleverly presents a lighthearted tongue-in-cheek analysis on the rise of ‘yes-man’ culture; but beneath the upbeat hooks and sing-a-long melodies lies a serious message.
“It’s a playful piss-take of blind loyalty and unchecked admiration, exploring how power grows most dangerous when no one dares to challenge it,” explains singer and guitarist, Simon Hart.
Play For Keeps have been quietly making ripples in their hometown of Ōtautahi for the past few years, playing at some of Canterbury’s largest festivals, including last year’s Go Live Festival and a blinding set last week at Nostalgia, where they shared the line-up with heavyweights such as Ladyhawke, Troy Kingi and Tami Neilson.
First emerging on the scene as Ellie Oak, the band - Simon Hart (Vocal and Rhythm Guitar), Tim Cederman (Bass and Backing Vocals), Nic Hart (Keys and Backing Vocals), Rob Grover (Lead Guitar) and Andy Gibbs (Drums) - went back to the drawing board in 2025, with a name change. They then enlisted the award-winning producer and engineer Tom Healey (Tiny Ruins, Marlon Williams, Nadia Reid, The Veils, Julia Jacklin) and the result is a swag of new songs, of which ‘Handsome Boy’ is the first.
‘Handsome Boy’ captures what Play For Keeps does best - pairing warmth, melody, and humour with ideas that actually matter. Showcasing an instinct for writing catchy music that instantly grabs the listener, while gently asking them to think more deeply about the world around them.
The five-piece, affectionately self-described as “a group of jazz school survivors” makes no secret of the fact that they’re busily ‘adulting’ when not in the studio or on stage. But with a shared obsession with The Beths, Arcade Fire and The War On Drugs, they’re not letting the age old myths of the music industry hold them back. And it begins now with ‘Handsome Boy’.
Watch the video for ‘Handsome Boy’ - made by Nick Kowalski Film / LISTEN TO ‘HANDSOME BOY’