Powder Chutes are a rock band from Wānaka, New Zealand, producing fiercely original music described by NZ Musician Magazine as having “a modern grunge feel, mixed with punk angst and hard rock" who are turning heads both nationally and internationally.

Compared to everyone from Tool, to Highly Suspect, the band is made up of Archie Orbell (drums), Clarke West (guitar), Henry McConnell (vocals), and Otis Murphy (bass), and are described by Radio One 91FM as “already punching well above their weight in the Aotearoa music scene… with chunky riffs, and BIG fills, they have every head turning”.

In addition to their standout headline shows, Powder Chutes have opened for The Feelers, Dolphin Friendly, Big Sima, East York, Pull Down The Sun, Pieces Of Molly, and The Jordan Luck Band. They also opened the 2023 Gibbston Valley Summer Concert for ZZ Top, Pat Benatar, Stone Temple Pilots and The Angels to 18,000 people and played the main stage at the 2024 Burning Horse Festival.

Their last single ‘Moths To The Flame’ achieved major radio airplay, entering at #9 on the Official NZ Hot 20 NZ Singles Charts, and was voted onto the 2023 Rock FM 2000 at #1730.

Between May 26th and July 28th, 2023 ‘Moths To The Flame’ was in the 40 most played rock songs on New Zealand radio for 8 out of 10 weeks, and is still on regular rotation.

Powder Chutes were recently chosen by Alien Weaponry as the winners of the inaugural AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand 'Thrash More’ competition, open nationwide to musicians aged 13-25.

The boys are currently in the final stages of mixing their debut album at North Otago’s Studio Sublime and will release their new single ‘Merchants’ from this in June 2024.

Sweet noise pollution... groove-fueled grunge... whatever you call it, Powder Chutes are electrifying, ambitious, and ready to make their mark as an original rock band worthy of attention.