Sola Rosa New Tomorrows Ep Out Now Featuring New Single 'Cypress Tree' Feat. Akosia

As the genre-defying Sola Rosa helmed by Andrew Spraggon celebrates 25 years of musical evolution, the release of New Tomorrows arrives as a fitting celebration - a seven track journey that bridges the past and future. Following the international acclaim of Chasing the Sun (2020) — praised by Mojo with a coveted four-star review — New Tomorrows builds on Sola Rosa’s eclectic legacy while embracing new sonic terrains and collaborations.

For Spraggon, the EP represents both reflection and transition. “When I started Sola Rosa, I never imagined it would last 25 years,” he shares. “This project has evolved in ways I couldn’t have predicted, and New Tomorrows feels like a culmination of that journey—honoring where I’ve been while opening the door to what’s next. There’s a sense of closing one chapter and beginning another. I’m proud of what this body of work represents, but I’m also ready to explore new ways of creating that aren’t bound by the live band format I’ve focused on for so long.”

The EP features an impressive roster of musicians, including Lewis McCallum, Julien Dyne, Jeremy Toy, Kenji Iwamitsu-Holdaway, Finn Scholes, Joe Kaptein, Michael Howell, and longtime Sola Rosa members Ben White, Matt Short, and Peter Leupolu. Vocals from AKOSIA and Bristol-born Joe Probert further enrich the project’s sonic palette.

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With instrumental tracks seamlessly intertwined with tracks featuring vocals, New Tomorrows delivers a rich tapestry of soundscapes “I’ve always been drawn to contrast—light and dark, smooth and rough,” Spraggon says. “This EP leans into that tension. There’s melancholy in these songs, but also hope. It’s about acknowledging both without needing to resolve them.”
Mixed by Simon Gooding (Ed Sheeran, Pink, Neil Finn) and mastered by Joshua Llewellyn at Downbeat Mastering, New Tomorrows is polished yet retains the warmth and dynamism that has defined Sola Rosa’s work. With previous singles ‘Tears Roll Down’ and ‘The Sun Doesn’t Shine’ receiving playlisting across Aotearoa’s airways, along with favourable reviews in NZ Listener and Rolling Stone, it’s clear Sola Rosa’s latest work is resonating with fans old and new.

Central to the EP is latest single "Cypress Tree" featuring Melbourne-based vocalist AKOSIA. Rich with lyrical depth and atmospheric production, the track is an emotionally charged exploration of inner turmoil, curiosity, and the relentless pursuit of connection. " like calm within the chaos. Beauty in the breakdown," AKOSIA reflects. "Life is a contradiction with moments of clarity and confusion, stillness and storms that all happen at once like a monsoon. I’m a thinker so I spend a lot of time searching for truth within myself, and that often leaves me feeling high and low. I don’t always know what to do with my thoughts or my emotions, so I wrote this song."

"Cypress Tree" captures that vulnerability through vivid metaphors and layered soundscapes. AKOSIA’s plea to "decipher me" resonates with anyone navigating the complexities of identity and self-understanding, underscored by Spraggon’s signature blend of lush instrumentation and electronic textures. “Working with AKOSIA was a reminder of why I love collaborating,” says Spraggon. “Her honesty and openness brought out something raw and real. We wanted the production to echo that—balancing space and texture to let her words land.” The song’s symbolic imagery — from a blow dart’s poison to the swaying cypress tree — evokes longing and introspection, while the chorus pulses with a universal desire for clarity amid confusion.

Marking both an end and a beginning, New Tomorrows is as much about looking inward as it is about moving forward. With a full-length album recorded and slated for release later in 2025, Spraggon is poised for the next chapter. “I’ve realized that reinvention isn’t just part of my process—it’s what keeps me excited about making music,” he reflects. “I’m grateful for the past 25 years, but I’m even more curious about what’s ahead.”

Tracklisting:
1. Seeds
2. Tears Roll Down feat. AKOSIA
3. New Tomorrows
4. The Sun Doesn’t Shine feat. Joe Probert
5. Get On
6. Cypress Tree feat. AKOSIA
7. Heaven Could Be Close feat. Joe Probert