Eigenface is a New Zealand/New York trio that blend folk intimacy, dream-punk atmospheres and electronic experimentation. Their songs move between comfort and unease, pairing bright melodies with dissonance, layered vocal harmonies and richly textured arrangements. With a sound that sits comfortably alongside artists such as Everything Everything, Son Lux and Loma while harking back to Radiohead and Portishead. Eigenface have developed a softly disarming style that finds beauty in uncertainty.
The band comprises Penelope Esplin (French for Rabbits, Lake South, Grawlixes) on synth and vocals, Elliot Vaughan (CNZ/NZSM Composer in Residence 2024, Moth Quartet, RNZ Concert Presenter) on bass and vocals, and Logan Valentine (Moon Lander) on electric guitar and vocals. The group formed from an impromptu challenge to write and perform on one another's work, the result became a cohesive set of songs, resulting in Eigenface's self-titled debut album.
Released on Home Alone Records, Eigenface arrives on October 2, 2026. Recorded and mixed by Vaughan and mastered by Harris Newman (Wolf Parade, Buck Meek, Godspeed You! Black Emperor), the album features Vaughan's lush string arrangements throughout. Across its songs, the band explores memory, place, relationships and the tension between beauty and discomfort through expansive arrangements, electronic textures and intimate storytelling.
Eigenface have appeared at Day in the Bay, The Performance Arcade and Newtown Festival, and shared stages with Lake South, Julian Temple and Birdfeeder. The band will celebrate the release of their debut album with a New Zealand headline tour in October and November 2026.