Charisma Club Announces Sophomore EP Release Show With Koen Alder

Auckland's live music scene prepares for a notable event as Charisma Club stages its sophomore EP release show at Whammy on Wednesday, November 11, according to Scoop. The Auckland-based songwriting and production project is led by Josh Stewart, who blends floaty synths, wide basslines, warm guitars, and dayglow-esque production into a nostalgic, feel-good sound.

According to Scoop, the upcoming project is titled That Feeling and explores love, growing up, technology, and the weirdness of early adulthood. The EP moves fluidly between euphoric synth-pop and more stripped-back, organic moments, balancing bright, melodic production with personal and introspective songwriting. Tracks such as Your Love and Better On Your Own highlight how Charisma Club continues to evolve its sound while maintaining a core focus on honest songwriting, big melodies, and feel-good audio design, as further detailed on InfoPages.

Joining the bill for the release event as a special guest is Tāmaki Makaurau-based soft-rock and indie-folk songwriter and producer Koen Alder. Alder is known for blending melodies, lyrics, and funny anecdotes into memorable moments, having previously fronted Marmalade and Odds & Ends before bringing his more intimate and personal songs to the studio and stage. His performance history includes touring Europe, national headline tours, and notable headline shows at the Tuning Fork. Additionally, Alder's bands have supported several touring acts, including Hot Potato Band, Beach Bunny, French for Rabbits, Ha The Unclear, KT Tunstall, and most recently James at The Civic. Alder is currently working on transforming his demos into ear candy.

Cultural calendars in other regions feature contrasting stage productions during the same seasonal window. In Vancouver, the Arts Club is bringing back Elf: The Musical to the Stanley BFL CANADA Stage, as reported by the Straight. That production runs from November 12 to December 27, following a human raised by Santa's elves who travels to New York City in search of his biological father. The cast is led by Oliver Kadar in the role of Buddy the elf, alongside Paige Fraser as Jovie, Andrew Wheeler as Walter Hobbs, Sharon Crandall as Emily Hobbs, and Tom Pickett as Santa Claus. The production involves twenty cast members, a ten-member children's chorus, and seven musicians under the direction of Stephen Drover, with choreography by Julie Tomaino and music direction by Ken Cormier. Arts Club artistic director Ashlie Corcoran noted in a release that the show was a hit with audiences in 2023.

"Audiences loved the joy, charm and humour of Elf: The Musical when we produced this show in 2023, and we are delighted to have this holiday favourite return to the Stanley BFL CANADA Stage. This is the kind of show we love putting on during the holiday season—Elf’s message of belonging, kindness, and the courage to embrace who you are will resonate with our audiences."

Ashlie Corcoran, artistic director, via Straight

Back in Auckland, the Charisma Club release event at Whammy on Wednesday, November 11, marks an important live outing for Stewart's project as it brings recorded studio work into the live arena alongside Alder's established indie-folk and soft-rock presence. Ticket holders and fans following the local scene can look forward to hearing the new material from That Feeling performed live.