December 07, 2025 – This weekend, the Auckland, New Zealand quartet The Beths played back-to-back sold-out performances at Union Transfer, warming up a cold winter stretch with their upbeat, bouncy indie rock sound. They’re currently touring the U.S. to promote their newest album, Straight Line Was a Lie, and leaving rave reviews wherever they go.
Their music is filled with melodic hooks, distorted guitars, and accentuated beats, layered with fuzzy guitars and deceptively light-sounding lyrics. Sharp songwriting, big hooks, choruses that stick, a band that can seriously play, and lyrics that hit harder than you expect have become their calling card.
Photos + Article by Steve Cerf @stevecerf
The Beths opened with “Straight Line Was a Lie,” one of the new songs from the latest record, and it landed quietly but heavy. Bright guitars and a familiar melody, but there’s a weight underneath it that settles in fast. It doesn’t try to blow the room open; it just tightens the grip and holds it there.
That moved straight into “No Joy,” another track off Straight Line Was a Lie. The bass kept pushing everything forward while the vocals stayed flat and matter-of-fact, like she was just laying it all out and moving on. It’s catchy in the way The Beths do best, but the feeling of going through the motions is what really sticks.
From there, “Silence Is Golden” kicked the pace up early in the set. The guitars are jagged, the song never really relaxes, and the energy almost feels fun until the lyrics catch up with you. It moved fast, restless, and right on edge.
Cofounder Elizabeth Stokes handled lead vocals and rhythm guitar, with cofounder Jonathan Pearce on lead guitar, cofounder Benjamin Sinclair on bass, and Tristan Deck behind the drum kit. Deck was incredibly lively and helped drive the show with his high spirits.
Stokes’ voice was pitch perfect, electric at times, soothing at others. The mix was sharp, with crisp vocals cutting through cleanly. The Beths’ perfectly timed four-part harmonies were impressive, with Pearce, Sinclair, and Deck joining Stokes at just the right moments to push songs into energized highs. The foursome clicks well together; the chemistry feels seamless onstage.
“Little Death” highlighted Lizzie’s distinctive voice and the band’s indie-punk rock edge. A true standout came with “Future Me Hates Me,” when Pearce let loose on guitar, once he opened up, there was no stopping him.
The packed house naturally started clapping along to the killer drum beat. The crowd was ecstatic, swinging and waving their arms as indie fans do, while the band cranked out one energized moment after another.
The Beths closed the night with “Roundabout,” a loose, high-energy encore that felt like the band letting the room breathe one last time. It landed with an easy joy, the kind of closer that sends everyone out into the cold with a little more heat than they walked in with.
Every time The Beths land in the States, the crowds get bigger and bigger. They’re in the middle of a U.S. run behind Straight Line Was a Lie, and the momentum is clearly on their side. The Beths’ connection to each other and their shared joy in playing translate directly to the audience, closing the night on a clean, satisfying high note.
Head over to your favorite streaming service to check out Straight Line Was a Lie, definitely an album to add to your favorites.
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