# Style-diverse New Zealand musician Stenn Francis-Deare’s ‘There’s A Lot To Give’

- Link: https://indierockcafe.com/2026/10/style-diverse-new-zealand-musician-stenn-francis-deares-theres-a-lot-to-give/
- Published: 2026-10-20T20:45:41-04:00
- Author: Max Hammer

New Zealand songwriter **Stenn Francis-Deare** grew up in rural **Whatawhata** surrounded
by musicians and artists, with a range of styles from Balkan folk muisc to indie
and post-punk bands like Link Wray and Television in the mix. Now based in **Melbourne**,
Stenn brings that varied background to his accomplished debut album, _There’s A 
Lot To Give_ , set to drop October 23rd.

The record draws on alt-country, folk and baroque pop vibes throughout. It was recorded
at **Neil Finn**’s Roundhead Studios in **Auckland**, New Zealand with producer **
Navakatoa Tekela-Pule**, whose credits include LEAO and Erny Belle.

For an introduction to Stenn’s music style, check out “Tales From the Pantry.” The
Bowie-inspired debut single landed in _ Rolling Stone _ (Australia/New Zealand version)
Best New Music’s roundup earlier this year.

The album took shape after a friend challenged Francis-Deare to write and record
in a more personal way to connect to others; not to hold back. This inspired Stenn
to began looking more closely at himself and how he wanted to carry himself in life
and interact with others.

“Love is something you have to actively choose all the time,” he explains. “If you’re
so used to hiding away, it’s the hardest thing to do.”

The title track is also a good selection to get a handle on this artist’s unique
mix of styles, sensitivities and songwriting.

_ Happy Mag _ described its meeting of alt-country and indie rock as ‘warm, unfussy
and quietly affecting,’ while _TripleJ_ Unearthed’s Steph Hughes calls it ‘introspective
and warm.’ Fellow blogger Sam Lane was especially taken with the pedal steel’s entrance—
a specific detail you’ll hear when you give the track a spin.

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