Trauma Party are the fiercest post-punk four piece based on Waiheke Island, Auckland, New Zealand. An eccentric collective of neuro-divergent degenerates, powered by a female drumming powerhouse and fronted by the shaman of noise and chaos Buddy Olson.

Merging raw post punk articulation with angular and subversive pop sensibilities, they have been capturing the attention of audiences throughout Aotearoa one dive bar after another.

Since their debut in early 2025, Trauma Party have opened for high profile garage rock mainstays Guitar Wolf (JAPAN), The Jackets (EUR), and industrial behemonth Schkeuditzer Kreuz (Aus) and From The Jam (UK). They recently completed two North Island and Auckland tours. Their current EP release BECAUSE YOU’VE BEEN GOOD features a collection of songs that have been live show favourites and has received international attention:

‘The fact that they sound as revolutionary in today’s modern musical landscape as they would have back then proves why post-punk has become a major force once more‘ - THE BIG TAKEOVER, USA

“…a busted carnival loudspeaker wired straight into the national nervous system… turning political disgust into a carnival bark that grows more feverish with every repetition… There is some of The Fall’s sour wit in the delivery, some Killing Joke in the pressure underneath… Trauma Party throws these ingredients into a garage-rock furnace and lets the song stagger around like a circus tent caught in a riot… grotesque, psychedelic, and dangerously catchy.”
– Post-punk.com, USA

“Stuttering, jarring, awkward, claustrophobic, with heavy hints of early 80s The Fall with a bit of Wire and a dash of noise rock thrown into the mix… In terms of that post-punk experimentalism, that kind of boundary-pushing, that more nuanced level of articulation, it hits the spot.”
– Aural Aggravation, UK

They say therapy never felt so good.
Trauma Party deliver a live show of boundless energy, theatrical apocalyptic celebration, and good ole fashioned unhinged urgency.

Trauma Party are:

• Buddy Olson – Vocals

• Derek Solomon – Guitars

• Ron K – Bass

• Kirsty Swanney – Drums

‍ Key Releases & Achievements

• Because You've Been Good (Debut EP, April 2026): A tight, punchy collection tackling political spin, societal exclusion, and manufactured outrage.

• "Speak To Me": Released as a major radio promo single in 2026, it topped Christchurch’s RDU 98.5FM chart and peaked at #6 on the nationwide Student Radio Network chart. Its video was filmed at the Waiheke Dirt Track.

• "Sharks": An early standout single featured on Most FM's NZ On Air Making Tracks segment.

• "Are We in Heaven" & "Roll Up (It's The New Truth)": Core tracks that helped establish their early underground following.