Trouble with Normal

Trouble with Normal is a three-piece alt-indie band from Ōtautahi Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand. After years away from the stage they returned in 2024 to write, record, and play loud enough, to make their teenage selves nod approvingly from somewhere in the past.
The urge to crank up an amp has a way of boomeranging back. Older now, slightly creakier in the knees, and sporting a brand-new drummer, Trouble with Normal is once again doing what they love: turning up, plugging in, and hoping the neighbours don’t complain.
Their new songs carry the spark of rediscovery, wrapped in their own brand of short, sharp, quirky indie pop. The late-night swagger of Are You Ready Now sits alongside the existential shrug of I’m Not Sure and the celebration of timeless beauty in Near North. Every new track is fuelled by equal parts excitement, stubbornness, and the collective decision to stop talking about making music and just make it.
And yes, they’re a dad band. Proudly. Because the truth is simple: you can have kids, mortgages, creaking backs, early starts, and still rock up to rehearsal like you’re 22 with nothing to lose. Playing in a band isn’t just for the young. It’s for anyone who still feels that little internal switch flip when a guitar cable clicks into place.
Back onstage, Trouble with Normal is here with worn-in guitars, amps running warm, and a renewed appetite for making joyful noise. Whether you’re 15 or 55, it’s never too early or too late to make some noise.