MNZ Interview: Cross Section S03 / E02 – Ripship

Aiming to dissect the cross section between the creative process and the industry side, Cross Section is an exciting interview series hosted by Shannon Coulomb.

Ripship, a sci-fi psych-rock duo from Te Whanganui a Tara (Wellington, NZ), has been carving out a unique space in the music scene since 2019. Consisting of Callum Lincoln (guitar, synth, vocals) and Rae McLean (drums, vocals), the duo first caught attention with their debut EP Greebles (2020) and honed their sound with the release of Fearsome Engine (2022), which was pressed on vinyl by 1:12 Records. Known for their explosive live shows, Ripship has played major festivals like Cuba Dupa, toured with Bad Taste, and supported acts like Beastwars and Jack White. In 2025, they released Crawling Chorus, their highly anticipated second LP, which showcases their distinctive approach to sci-fi psych-rock.

Crawling Chorus is a nine-track journey blending sugary hooks, polyrhythmic grooves, shimmering guitar tones, and apocalyptic lyrics that defy easy categorisation. Recorded and mixed by James Goldsmith, the album ranges from the warm, crackling textures of Chrome, a Squidward-inspired reflection on friendship, to the krautrock frenzy of “New Mexico.” Drawing inspiration from SpongeBob SquarePants, Starship Troopers, climate change, and conspiracy theories, the album serves as a raw, imaginative exploration of modern anxieties. Released via 1:12 Records, Crawling Chorus is available digitally and on black BioVinyl, pressed by Holiday Records in Auckland.

Congrats on the release of your new album Crawling Chorus. The album feels like you’ve taken the blueprint from your previous album Fearsome Engine and turned the intensity all the way up. What did the creative process look like writing the album and were there any key differences between the making of each? 

Thank you! Most of the songs on Fearsome Engine came about through trying to find homes for wild guitar tones. On Crawling Chorus, we pushed our experiments further by introducing loopers, sequencers and samplers to the mix. Also, while we love Fearsome’s cohesion, we didn’t want to waste any great ideas trying to fit into a box. We said yes to every idea, whether it be krautrock, breakbeats, or pop melodies.

Crawling Chorus has an ambitious, creative sound and the production stands out too. For example, the vocals on Ever Dream This Band have tight harmonies over relatively non-linear melodies, over feedback controlled, industrial wall of sound. It’s a real journey to listen to. What’s your thought process when it comes to pre-production/production and what was the recording process with James Goldsmith like?

We like to start on a home demo pretty much as soon as possible, as soon as we have something tangible. It lets us play around with song structure, lyrics and layering more instruments before learning how to actually sing and play two things at once.

Working with James was an absolute dream. He really understood our intentions with each track, and without him they would not have been realised to the fullest. He’s also lovely to be around and has an adorable cat. 10/10 would recommend.

Do you apply the same creative processes to other aspects of the Music Industry, for example, in your approach to marketing yourself?

In the same vein as making demos efficiently, we’ve become more selective with our gigging after noticing diminishing returns- you can only sell a record to a person once, and playing too many shows leaves little time for writing new material.

As for marketing, we just try to be genuine. It’s hard to come across as so sometimes since you need to post pretty relentlessly to be heard, but I hope our enthusiasm and our cheek can still be read.

Congratulations on opening for Jack White at the Powerstation in December. That must have been a hell of an experience. Have you got your eyes set on any Australian acts you would like to perform with once you move, and which artists in Aotearoa would you like to perform with down the line?

Thanks! It was crazy- it was quite late notice and very high pressure but it was absolutely incredible. We couldn’t have done it without Swallow the Rat, who saved our asses by providing backline and being our crew last minute.

Several of our favourite ever bands are from Australia: Party Dozen, Tropical F*ck Storm, and of course King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. We’d jump at the chance to support any one of them. As for Kiwi bands, we’re lucky enough to have opened for heaps of our favourites already! But since you asked, let’s say Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Wax Chattels and Half Hexagon.

What qualities do you appreciate the most in other musicians?

We have a difficult time writing earnest songs, so when an artist can pour themselves out on-stage (without defaulting to cliche lyrics) it’s quite awesome. When it’s combined with great technical musicianship we get especially inspired.

Also, people who can sing effortlessly make us seethe with jealousy.

How do you keep an eye to the future in regards to your work and work ethic? Do you generally focus on just the project at hand or are you considering how it fits into a larger plan?

I think having a routine helps- making sure we’re always creating something every week, whether it’s jamming, recording a demo, drafting an Instagram post or whatever. Something we learned the hard way with the previous album is that you have to look months ahead sometimes. Booking shows, releasing singles and pressing records all require months of foresight. Luckily, we didn’t leave it til last minute this time, and our album release isn’t happening in a pizzeria.

Where have you had the most success in terms of marketing to the Aotearoa audience? If applicable, has this translated well to an international market?

Playing heaps of gigs when we first started in Tāmaki really helped gather some momentum, and getting on student radio was a blessing too. We’ve never experimented with third-party PR or anything like that; it feels disingenuous.

It wasn’t until our very latest single came out that we saw any international recognition- Debugger made it onto a few Spotify editorial playlists, causing it to become our most-streamed track in about a week. Unfortunately, I think that can only really be attributed to luck, though.

There are so many resources available to musicians in Aotearoa, such as Muzic.NZ, Music Managers Forum Aotearoa and APRA/AMCOS. Have any of these (or other) NZ resources played a significant role in your journey so far?

Muzic.NZ does a great job reaching an audience that Instagram/TikTok don’t, which is sweet. Engagement on those other platforms doesn’t often convert to engagement IRL, so that authenticity is really appreciated.

We get a little payout from APRA/AMCOS every now and then. It doesn’t make a huge difference but it helps pay for a rehearsal space if we need it.

Has having access to these resources led to any break-through moments for you, particularly in regards to crafting a successful narrative in your online presence?

Seeing pictures or reviews of our shows pop up on Muzic.NZ by surprise is great, but it also puts more pressure on us to present well live and tighten up our performances. I think when we were new that was a really valuable lesson to learn- that the quality of our shows can be remembered online indefinitely.

Finally, I feel like any song could have closed out Crawling Chorus, as each has a uniquely appropriate narrative. Could you point towards the bigger picture the album paints?

We couldn’t not close it with a song called The Ending! Crawling Chorus is kind of a spiritual sequel to our EP Greebles, which embraced variety and experimentation. The title reflects us as amateur singers and songwriters having a go at introducing some melodies and hooks to a very riff-focused project. It’s far from a pop album though- it’s still very Ripship with all the bizarre guitar tones, odd beats and otherworldly song topics. 

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Shannon Coulomb is the co-songwriter, guitarist and producer for Auckland Based band Impostor Syndrome. He currently the Head of Music at Birkenhead College, Auckland, as well as curriculum specialist for Music Education at AUT University.

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