Freak Slug

TĀMAKI MAKAURAU AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND (Jul 9, 2025) – Manchester based musician Freak Slug - the project of Xenya Genovese - will be welcoming audiences in Pōneke Wellington and Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland into her dreamy indie-pop world this October. Freak Slug performs at San Fran on October 20th and The Tuning Fork on October 21st with her Big Candles tour. Tickets will be available to purchase by the General Public on Friday 11 July at 10:00am local time.My Live Nation members will also be able to secure tickets during the presale which commences Thursday 10th July from 10:00am local time. Fans can register for access at livenation.co.nz. The name ‘Freak Slug’ encapsulates Xenya’s artistic world perversely and perfectly. Known for following the beat of her own drum, Xenya’s releases under the name Freak Slug so far include debut 2020 EP Videos and its viral hit Radio (23 million streams and counting), and follow-up EPs I’m In Love (2022) and Viva La Vulva (2023). Having shown listeners her more “summery, happy sound”, she then delivered a more grungy-feel with debut album I Blow Out Big Candles, furthermore pushing the diversity of her sound. Hugely influenced by ‘90s cult heroes including Ride, Mazzy Star and Stephen Malkmus, Freak Slug is all about hitting a mood. Everything that fuels her creative output is raw, authentic, sometimes weird, but always totally true self-expression. I Blow Out Big Candles is a strong statement of all of this and more. Down there, picking through the curious mix of sounds and feelings, from nostalgic, ‘90s-influenced and dreamy as well as eccentric and experimental, lives Freak Slug. The 10-track project gives listeners a taste of what they will be in for at her Aotearoa shows, a journey of both soft soulfulness and sonic songwriting, all laid out on the table. I Blow Out Big Candles is as fearless a record as Xenya herself and was met with features and reviews throughout some of the most prestigious radio and media platforms in the United Kingdom. With her 4 piece band, Freak Slug has performed at SXSW Austin – and was the most searched UK artist at the 2025 edition - alongside many other showcases and festivals. Earlier this year Freak Slug completed her Big Candles tour of the US, CA, UK and EU taking in 40 cities including sold out dates in LA, Chicago, Seattle, London, Paris and Amsterdam, she also has a busy summer of festivals festival with a headline slot on the alcove stage at Latitude.