Pōneke-based Tahini Bikini are known for their distinctive sound, a combination of funk, soul and pop influences elevated by frontwoman Mads Taylor’s frank, feisty lyrics and smoky voice.
The seven-piece group released their debut album Fever Dream in 2022, and have since become a fixture at festivals across Aotearoa, performing at Rhythm & Vines, Great Sounds Great, Welcome to Nowhere, Cuba Dupa, Outfield, Twisted Frequency and more. As well as Mads on lead vocals, the band features a talented collective of musicians: Mathew Campbell (Backing Vocals, percussion) Darcy Monteath (Bass), Eric Sebastian (drums), Alex Scott-Billing (Guitar) Cameron Robertson (Trumpet) and Aidan Mcculloch (Saxophone/keys).
In 2025 Tahini Bikini released a run of confident, polished singles, with lines like “tell me does it taste good when you lick those boots?” from ‘Mother’ emphasising a turn towards a more pointed, critical tone in the Mads’ songwriting.