Ha the Unclear
New Zealand indie rock band
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Ha the Unclear are an indie rock band from Dunedin, New Zealand. The group is currently composed of lead vocalist/guitarist Michael Cathro, bassist Paul Cathro, guitarist Theodore Francis, and drummer Stu Harwood. Relocating from Dunedin to Auckland in 2012, the band released full-length albums Bacterium, Look at Your Motor Go (2014) and Invisible Lines (2018) before signing to French label Think Zik! in 2019 and releasing A Kingdom in a Cul-de-Sac in 2024.[1]
Ha the Unclear | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Dunedin, New Zealand |
| Genres | Indie rock, indie pop |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Labels | Woollen Records, Think Zik! |
| Members | Michael Cathro Paul Cathro Theodore Francis Stu Harwood |
| Past members | Ben Sargeant Logan Valentine |
History
The group was formed after songwriter Michael Cathro released several DIY solo recordings under the pseudonym Baraka & the Finish Hims.[2]
Joining with his brother, bassist Paul Cathro, and drummer Ben Sargeant, they performed and toured the songs as a trio under the name Brown, before adding guitarist Theodore Francis to the lineup in 2012 and relocating to Auckland.[2]
Bacterium, Look at Your Motor Go and Invisible Lines (2014–2019)
The band independently released their debut album Bacterium, Look at Your Motor Go in 2014 and follow-up album Invisible Lines in 2018 on Woollen Records. Invisible Lines reached #9 on the New Zealand Albums Chart and spawned two APRA Silver Scroll Top 20 finalists: "Wallace Line" (2018) and "Where Were You When I Was All You Needed?" (2019).[3][4][5] In 2020, the single "Strangers", from the EP Threads, spent 11 weeks on New Zealand's RadioScope Alternative Airplay Charts and topped the Student Radio Network (SRN) Top 10, ending 2021 at #6 on SRN's year-end chart for 2021.[6][7]
French signing, EPs, and A Kingdom in a Cul-de-Sac (2019–present)
In 2019, Ha the Unclear signed with a French independent label Think Zik! with previous releases by Imany, Grace, Ayo and Faada Freddy.[8] This led to the release of two EPs, Threads and Hand Print Negatives, with a full-length album A Kingdom in a Cul-de-Sac released in 2024.
The band was critically well-received in France featuring in Le Figaro, Libération, Rolling Stone, Magic RPM, and Rock & Folk Magazine, and receiving radio rotation on FIP, Europe 2, and France Inter.[9][10][11][12][13]
In 2024, the band performed a headline show at Paris' Supersonic and supported English band Lime Garden in Paris, and French act Feldup in Nantes.[14][15][16] The band has also performed at the MaMA Festival in Paris.[17]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ [18] | |||||||||||||
| Bacterium, Look at Your Motor Go |
|
— | |||||||||||
| Invisible Lines |
|
9 | |||||||||||
| A Kingdom in a Cul-de-Sac |
|
15 | |||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Extended Plays
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Threads |
|
| Hand Print Negatives |
|
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | APRA Silver Scroll Awards | Silver Scroll Top 20 | "Wallace Line" | Nominated | [19] |
| 2019 | APRA Silver Scroll Awards | Silver Scroll Top 20 | "Where Were You When I Was All You Needed?" | Nominated | [20] |