08/03/2025

Will Swinton – Double Whammy: March 6, 2025

He’s toured the U.S., racked up millions of streams, signed to Capitol Records and released two E.P.s, yet Kiwi pop phenom Will Swinton has only performed in Auckland a couple of times. So, this headlining gig at Double Whammy is something his hometown fans have been waiting for.

It was a young, mostly female crowd that began to gather early and they caught opening act Emerson, the Auckland-based teen Rockquest winner. Unfortunately, previous commitments meant I had to miss Emerson’s set, but 13th Floor photographer Azrie Asis was on job so check out his photo gallery.

Macey

I did arrive in time to catch our friend Macey (aka Harry Parsons), who, along with a three-piece band, played a heartfelt 30-minute set full of his own songs, some from 2023 album, The Lovers and some from his more recent E.P. How To Say Goodbye.

The crowd didn’t come to see Macey but he and the band…Jesse/Mikey/Josh persevered, eventually winning them over with songs like The River and More Than A Minute.

We’re always happy to hear what Macey is up to and this set with a band was very promising.

Will Swinton

By the time Will Swinton and his band took the stage (10pm) the crowd had swelled to capacity and screams went up as they took the stage, the lean, lanky Kiwi staring with his 2024 single, Fall Apart.

When he segued into All For You, it seemed everyone in the house was singing along.

Will Swinton

No doubt about it, Will Swinton is a big deal, and this homecoming, headlining show gave him a chance to thank his loyal fans for following him on his trip that began when he was working at a trampoline park in Auckland.

Will tells the story of how he dropped tools and headed to LA in the hopes of impressing a would-be manager. The meeting went well, contracts were signed, songs were written and fans were thrilled with tunes like Harmless, So Low and Daydream.

It remains to be seen what a Will Swinton album will sound like, but that seemed irrelevant to the fans packed into Double Whammy, singing along to Leave In The Morning and Hold You Again.

The latter part of the set focused on tunes from his latest E.P., December with the semi-acoustic Where I Belong being a stand out.

If there was a drawback, it was the lighting…the tall Kiwi was sometimes difficult to see as he strutted along the stage, obscured by blue or red lights and fog. The band…Harry Ingram, James Mac and Andy Ayaz were virtually invisible.

But we could hear them, and that’s what counts.

After 45 mintes and Burning Along, the crowd demanded, “One More Song!”

And they got it.

Walls…a November 2024 single sent us off into the night. No doubt we’ll be hearing more from Will Swinton and probably seeing him in a much larger venue next time he plays Auckland.

Marty Duda

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Azrie Asis:

Will Swinton: