Auckland two-piece Carb on Carb roll into Dunedin next week for their first show here in two years.
The last time Nicole Gaffney (guitar, vocals) and James Stuteley (drums, vocals) were in Dunedin was in 2012, but the band has been busy since, releasing new music and touring the world extensively over the past 12 months.
In April last year, the band released the sophomore EP ladies mile, the follow-up to the fantastic no body perfect.
The influence of '90s emo can still be heard, with Stuteley's criss-crossing finesse underpinning Gaffney's angular and cutting guitar lines.
According to Stuteley, it's touring that is at the forefront of the Carb on Carb agenda.
''Yeah, its the crux of the band really,'' he says.
''It's something that we've both been aiming for for years, to be in an actively touring/exploring band''.
Exploring is something the band certainly had covered when they played a series of dates through China last year, including an en-route performance in Singapore to open for indie chill-dude phenomenon Mac DeMarco.
''We wanted to take a next step past Australia, but not go straight to the US or Europe,'' Stuteley said.
''So So Modern's Transpacific Tour was definitely inspiration to look more regionally for places to play.
"Shows were awesome, super-varied: big rock clubs, weird little expat bars, and huge halls.
"The venues' professionalism and generous hosting was pretty jaw-dropping to be honest.
''It was beneficial to us as people in a band to learn how to tour in a country that is vastly different to ours, putting us through tough conditions like a tour boot camp.''
Stuteley also helps run label Auckland via Wanganui DIY label-collective Papaitii Records.
The label releases music from the likes of Wellington's Lontailus, as well as regularly posting artist authorised bootlegs that Stuteley records at live shows featuring the likes of Mt Eerie and Street Chant.
To celebrate the milestone of 100 bootlegs posted to the site, Papaiti has put together a compilation available digitally and on cassette of shows that are important to them via events such as Camp A Low Hum.
''Once I realised I made it to 100, I knew I had to put something together. I put a lot of work in so needed to celebrate somehow,'' he says.
Carb on Carb is currently working, saving, and writing, and will be releasing its debut album and touring Australia and Southeast Asia next year.
• Wednesday's Pint Night at Re:Fuel is a special fundraising event to help raise money to beautify Dunedin city.
As part of the ongoing redevelopment of the warehouse precinct, the Dunedin Street Art Group is raising money towards funding a world-class street art trail in and around the Vogel St area.
The commissioned works will feature renowned international and local artists transforming the walls and spaces in the vicinity with thought-provoking and unique pieces.
To help fund the event, Re:Fuel is hosting an eclectic mix of performers at a show.
Entry is free, but there will be multiple opportunities to donate throughout the night.
See them
• Carb on Carb (Auckland) Dunedin show, Friday, September 26, at ReFuel with Males and Dinosaur Sanctuary. $10 on the door from 9pm. www.papaiti.com.
• Street Art Festival Fundraiser Night featuring Haszari, Big Sima, The Mentalist Collective and Little Smith, Wednesday, September 24, at ReFuel Dunedin. Free entry from 9pm.