Trouble with Normal is a three-piece alt-indie band from Ōtautahi Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand.

Orginally formed decades ago in the smoky rooms of student bars and late-night venues, the band’s first chapter was brief.

Life then scattered the members to careers, families, and far-off places. The fire never fully went out though, and in 2024 that spark roared back to life.

Older now, and a bit creakier, Trouble with Normal has a new drummer and is back onstage and recording for the first time.

Turning up with worn-in low-slung guitars, amps running warm, and a renewed appetite for making joyful noise, while hoping the neighbours don’t complain.

Their new songs carry the spark of rediscovery, wrapped in their own brand of short, sharp, quirky indie pop. The late-night swagger of Are You Ready Now sits alongside the existential shrug of I’m Not Sure and the celebration of timeless beauty in Near North.

Every track was written and fuelled by equal parts excitement, stubbornness, and the collective decision to stop talking about making music and just make it.

Yes, we are a dad band. Proudly so.

The truth is simple: you can have kids, mortgages, and creaking backs, early starts, and still show up to rehearsal like you’re 22 with nothing to lose.

Playing in a band isn’t just for the young. It’s for anyone who still feels that little internal switch flip when a guitar cable clicks into place.

Whether you’re 15 or 55, step in close — it’s never too early or too late to make a bit of noise and have some fun.