"Working our asses off ...well three of us are, one of us is out of work.
"We need the money to be able to do anything with the band, between touring and recording."
The band last visited Dunedin in 2008. "The show was good in terms of what music we play, the right kind of people turned up and that's all you can ask for.
Dunedin is one of those places where you always meet good people, the South is like that for some reason."
The band is spending more time on writing than playing shows, he said.
"We used to do it the other way round but the situation we're in now leaves us little choice.
"Distance between band members and lack of finances means we can only really spend time on writing new material ... which isn't a bad thing."
The band got its name because "we grew up listening to a band called Face to Face and a mate said we should call ourselves Not Ok after the song A. O. K.
"As you can tell, no brain power went into it."
The line-up changed at the start of this year.
"Yeah, we added Cohen on guitar at the start of this year. We've been plagued by line-up changes, but it's still good to be playing.
"It takes a bit of motivation to stay in a band that costs half your year's wage!"
Chatfield has a key piece of advice for aspiring musicians.
"If you're in Dunedin and see the band Bazooka playing, then you'll know what it's really about.
"If you're in it for any other reason other than the love of music ... then good luck to you because the bubble will pop and it won't be pretty! Love the music and nothing else will matter."
The band is playing at the Cellars bar.
"People can expect an atmosphere of celebration because it's the first show of five on this tour and to be back home in NZ will make it even better."
After this tour, the band has some Australian dates, "but after that we'll concentrate on writing songs for an album . . .
"We feel like we have the goods now."
See them
Not Ok plays at the Cellars Bar, Dunedin, on August 3; Revolver, Queenstown, on August 4; and in Wanaka on August 5.
• Honeybone, a Dunedin four-piece blues/garage rock band release their debut six-track EP Soul on Fire on Friday at Refuel. Doors open at 9pm.
