Stella Bennett grew out of Auckland's DIY pop scene, turning SoundCloud sketches into sleek, off-kilter singles with producer Josh Fountain.
Pop melancholy with spring in its step
Her voice sits light on top of rubbery bass and crisp drums, giving sad thoughts a bounce you can dance to.
Songs likely to anchor the night
Expect a set built around
Supalonely,
Soaked,
Glitter, and
Green Honda, with deeper cuts from
Hey u x and the
Lychee EP sprinkled in. Crowds usually skew mixed-age, from high school friends in thrifted fits to thirty-somethings who found her during lockdown playlists, and the energy reads curious and kind. Trivia heads will note that many early tracks were cut with Fountain at Auckland's Golden Age studio, and that the snail motif in visuals nods back to
Snail. She often uses short dance breaks as reset points, which helps keep the tempo shifts feeling natural across a compact set. Fair notice: setlists and staging notes here are inferred from recent runs and may change from show to show.
The BENEE Scene: Colors, Chants, and Care
Colors, movement, and small rituals
The crowd dresses relaxed and playful: baggy jeans, skate sneakers, soft knits, and a few bucket hats.
What people bring to the room
Handmade bead necklaces and sticker-covered phones show up as much as official merch. When
Supalonely hits, the room bounces in place and the call-back on the la la refrain is loud but tuneful. During
Glitter, claps tend to lock on the two and four, and you will hear a tidy harmony pocket near the bridge. Merch leans pastel with small icon art, often a snail or a little green car nodding to
Green Honda. Between songs, people trade quick song recs and show each other thrift finds, which keeps breaks feeling social rather than restless. It is a space that welcomes first-timers without confusing die-hards who have followed since the early EPs.
How BENEE's Songs Breathe Onstage
Hook-first arrangements
Vocals carry the show: breathy lines that turn punchy on choruses, with clean doubles for width.
Small tweaks, big feels
The band keeps parts simple but locked: springy bass, dry drums, glassy guitar, and a synth that colors the edges. Arrangements favor clear starts and stops so hooks land without clutter. On
Soaked, they often slow the groove a notch live, letting the bass walk while the snare sits back. By contrast,
Green Honda tends to bump a few BPM, giving the chorus an easy sprint. A short acoustic section, often centered on
Happen to Me, resets the ear before the final run. Lighting stays pastel and cool, with the occasional bold wash on drops rather than blinding strobe. It all serves the core thing: a conversational voice over rhythms that feel light on their feet.
If You Like BENEE, Try These Live Acts
If you vibe with these voices...
Fans of
Lorde tend to cross over because both deliver clear, conversational melodies over minimal, punchy beats.
Overlap by sound and crowd feel
Clairo sits nearby for the understated delivery and diary-style writing that
BENEE often favors. Live,
beabadoobee brings fuzz and swing that fit
BENEE's indie-pop edges, even if the guitars hit harder. Those who liked the version of
Supalonely with
Gus Dapperton will likely be curious; he tours with a similarly colorful, dance-ready band. All four acts draw crowds that care about songs first and volume second, which makes singalongs feel musical rather than shouty. If you enjoy nimble grooves, bittersweet hooks, and a show that breathes between bops, these artists sit on the same shelf. Their playlists bounce from bedroom origins to bigger rooms without losing the home-recorded charm.
