Chantilly - No Cigar

Kiwi indie rockers NO CIGAR are ending the year on a high, with their first release in almost a year – the punchy, yet delicate, ‘Chantilly’.

‘Chantilly’ encapsulates the very essence of NO CIGAR, incorporating the band’s signature catchy, rhythmic and soulful vocals with groovy, gritty and melodic instrumentation. The ebb and flow between the softer pre-choruses and grittier instrumental drops, plays to both ends of the musical spectrum and gives fans of the five-piece a taste of what’s to come in 2025.

The song takes its name from the French town of Chantilly, where NO CIGAR was holed up in an Air BnB tasked with writing new songs for a new record.

“Having flown halfway around the world to play shows and write new music, there was a very real pressure to produce something worthy of the beautiful town we were in,” says the band. “That pressure slowly began to build. We’d hit a bit of a wall creatively, or so it seemed, until we decided to clear the heads, and venture out into the picturesque autumnal embankments of the river that meandered through Chantilly. Upon returning to our instruments, the valve was released.”

Steeped in writers’ anxiety and the pressure to create something special, ‘Chantilly’ takes the listener through a gamut of emotion. Ethereal, moody, reflective, introspective – the song has it all.

This is the first release from NO CIGAR since late 2023 when they dropped their nine-track Sophomore album, THE GREAT ESCAPE. The record featured the #1 rock radio smash hit, ‘Concubine’, which also debuted at #10 on 2024’s The Rock radio annual yearly countdown – the highest debut for a new band.

Since their formation in 2019, NO CIGAR has rapidly established themselves as one of New Zealand's most promising musical acts, captivating audiences with their infectious grooves and compelling storytelling. They’ve gone on to release the critically acclaimed 2020 EP RADICAL ROAD, which showcased their unique blend of psychedelic rock and groovy guitars. They followed this with the release of their debut album BIENVENIDO in September 2022.

NO CIGAR has solidified their position as a major force in the New Zealand music scene, earning airplay on popular radio station Radio Hauraki. They have also played to packed crowds at iconic venues and festivals across the country.