We are Suckafish and we play punk rock. Our style is loosely based on the 90s punk sound but also dips into ska, grunge and metal.
How did you get started with music?
We’d all finished with school and found ourselves mincing around Tairua and Whitianga, not really sure what was next.
Ghost and Grunta (our original guitarist) started turning up at this small open mic night in a cosy café in Tairua.
At first it was just the two of them, then it grew – two became three, then four, and eventually settled back to three again. That’s the same line-up we’ve got now.
What gets your creative juices flowing? What inspires you to make music?
Beers and darts, random jams with other bands, writing about things that matter but also things that don’t matter. Knowing that anything can come from any riff if you just keep chipping away.
Who are your musical heroes or role models?
NOFX, Rancid, Pennywise, Bad Religion, Offspring and Sublime are just some of the bands that we love!
Back then, we didn’t really know how to be a band.
There wasn’t much of a local scene to plug into, no roadmap to follow. So, we made our own.
We started putting on our own shows around town, slowly getting spots in the city, and eventually organising our own tours and small fests. We were winging it, honestly – and in many ways we still are.
How has live music shaped your life and career?
It’s everything. There’s something special about a crowd of people showing up just to experience some art – even if that art happens to be three sweaty men yelling stink songs at them. It means something.
Playing with other bands is always a highlight. There’s this instant connection when you meet people who are into the same scene, the same sounds, the same chaos.
Those nights where there are five or six bands on the bill? Always epic. You never really know what’s going to happen, but it’s almost guaranteed to be a good time.
What does being a musician here in Te Tara-o-te-Ika-a-Māui (on the Peninsula) mean to you?
It’s always great being able to mix and mingle with other local artists. There’s a real sense of community, and everyone brings their own flavour to the table. We especially love playing gigs on the Peninsula – those crowds know how to bring the noise. Always a good rowdy ruckus. Just the way we like it.
What’s been your most unforgettable moment in your music career so far?
It’s wild to think that next year marks 20 years. Somehow, we’ve managed to keep the dream alive this long – and that still blows our minds a bit. These days, we’re a bit more spread out, with a third of us based in Taranaki, but sending demos back and forth has been the lifeline. That’s probably been the key to us still making music together after all this time.
If there’s any advice we’d give, it’s this: always share your ideas with your band – even the rough ones, even the half-finished ones. Don’t wait for perfection. Just chip away at it. Not every song’s going to be good, and that’s totally fine. Some of them will be. It’s a numbers game.
Where can we find your music, and how can people show their support?
Salty Platinum Vol 1 is out now on all streaming platforms.
Any exciting plans or projects on the horizon?
Salty Platinum Vol 2 is on the way. We are looking for another venue on the peninsula to record in August. Vol 1 was recorded in a log cabin in Hikuai.
We are planning to do an NZ tour of Salty Platinum 1/2 in 2026 for our 20-year anniversary.
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