Listen To Dateline's New Album 'It's All Downhill From Here'

Impressing onlookers with a towering big band performance at last week's Going Global, it feels like we've all been looking forward to It's All Downhill From Here, the second album from Dateline out today via Sunreturn. If this is what peak performance looks like, then Pōneke-based songwriter Katie Everingham and bandmates Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa, Phoebe Johnson, and Reuben McDonald can hold their heads high no matter what comes down the pipeline next. Recorded and mixed by Jonathan Pearce (The Beths) at Vogelmorn Hall in the windy city's Brooklyn, and mastered by Oliver Devlin (Hans Pucket), the skits scattered across IADFH lend the album an off-the-cuff, family get-together glow — lightening the emotional weight of Dateline's sharp-as-a-tack rampage of future alt-rock classics.

The songcraft expressed on It's All Downhill From Here is indeed consistently tip top, with close attention paid to gripping hooks and devastating wordplay rivalling the mega-catchiness of their sister group The Beths (whose singer / guitarist Elizabeth Stokes was once a Dateline member). Lead single 'Choose Me' has rightly earned a shortlist placing for 2024's Silver Scroll Award, while latest singles 'Be Good' and 'Hands' have been SRN staples. Amidst the many new highlights, Everingham asks "Who needs sex when you've got comedy" on quiet / loud scorcher 'Home Fires', opener 'Knock Me Out' conveys intense world-weary jadedness in a snappy pop-punk package, and the massive 'Broken Knees' is almost like a lost Weezer hit, sans Cuomo cringe. Despite their evident popularity, Dateline still feel like one of Aotearoa's best kept secrets, don't miss 'em on tour this spring and have a listen below...

"There was a bit of an intention to try to make an album that “ROCKED” and was fun to listen to. Not all of the songs have landed strictly in the rock zone but as we’ve leaned into our influences of classic 90s alternative albums by bands like The Smashing Pumpkins, Hole and Weezer.

Having Phoebe and Hikurangi join the band (who are both jazz trained) had a really significant impact on the sound of ‘It's All Downhill From Here,’ their parts are definitely more intricate than what I would’ve written. Reuben is a fantastic guitar player, he puts so much effort into finding the right lead guitar parts and sounds for each song. The group had such a huge impact on the album, I couldn’t have done it without them.

Vogelmorn Hall has really left its mark on the album. Recording over the course of a few days in a big space with trusted friends was such a fun experience. I am really proud of what we managed to achieve. Jonathan Pearce (who recorded, mixed and also produced the album) played a really significant role in guiding us to get the most out of our songs. He also captured sounds and band chat that happened between takes which we’ve sprinkled throughout the album.I really hope listeners enjoy being able to imagine that they are part of the process too." - Katie Everingham

Dateline 'It's All Downhill From Here' Album Release

Friday 27th September - Meow, Wellington w/ Mystery Waitress, Flute Journeys
Friday 4th October - Paisley Stage, Napier w/ Lizard Prom
Saturday 5th October - Whammy Bar, Auckland w/ BUB, The Protection

Auckland and Napier tickets on sale HERE via UTR
Wellington tickets available via moshtix

'It's All Downhill From Here' is out today via Sunreturn, order the vinyl LP edition HERE.