Borderline Sets Its Sights on the World Stage
The New Zealand four-piece is taking its self-titled debut around the world while building toward a bigger sound and bigger stages
- Borderline grew out of a childhood friendship and a shared commitment to music.
- Their debut album captures the band’s transition from adolescence into adulthood.
- The band is currently touring Singapore while looking ahead to its second album and a wider global breakthrough.
No plan b, just Borderline
Borderline is a four-piece band from New Zealand, made up of Ben Glanfield on vocals, guitar, and keys; Jackson Boswell on drums and vocals; Matthew McFadden on lead guitar; and Max Harries on bass and saxophone. What began with Jackson and Matthew meeting at school and playing music together eventually grew into a band that has taken its self-titled debut across international stages.
For the members, music was never a fallback plan or a career they had to convince themselves to pursue.
“There was never really a plan B. This has always kind of been the plan, and there’s kind of nothing else that we’d rather be doing,” Jackson says.
Matthew describes that attitude as something that “went without saying,” while Ben recalls the band forming around a simple idea: if they could do this forever, they would keep working toward it.
New Zealand’s surf-pop and indie-pop-rock scene shaped their earliest sound, but their individual influences stretched much further. Matthew drew on rock, blues, and metal; Jackson on pop and funk; Ben on pop; and Max on jazz and classical music.
A debut that captured their growing pains
The making of Borderline’s self-titled debut changed the band’s trajectory. What had been school, gigs, and occasional songwriting became an intensive period of studio work and collaboration.
“It was very different, as in: we are going to make an album now. We were spending more time in the studio than we ever had; we were spending more time together as just the four of us,” Ben says.
The album became a snapshot of the years when the members were moving from their teens into their twenties. For Jackson, it captures the personal and creative growth that came with that transition.
“I feel like that’s captured perfectly in the album, and I think we’re really proud of it. It stamps a very important time in our lives,” Jackson says.
Their songwriting has evolved alongside them. Early songs drew heavily from books and television, while growing older, traveling, and experiencing more of the world gave their writing a deeper connection to real life.
Around the world
Borderline’s international run has taken them across the US, UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, and the band is currently bringing that run to Singapore before continuing its expansion into Asia.
“Since we were very young, we’ve all dreamed about being able to tour, travel the world, and play our music literally as far from home as possible,” Jackson says.
Playing new territories has shown the band how differently audiences respond to live music. A festival appearance in Poland, in particular, surprised them with the crowd’s enthusiasm.
For Ben, those experiences are also an opportunity to represent where the band comes from.
“We want to show them that we punch well above our weight.”
The road has also strengthened the dynamic between the four members. Jackson calls touring tough but rewarding, while Matthew describes the band as a “tight-knit family” on the road.
On to bigger stages
With the debut behind them, Borderline is already working toward its second album. The members have spent much of the time since the first record writing and exploring how they want to approach the next one.
“We’re really excited to get back into the studio and writing some new stuff,” Jackson says, while also looking forward to more touring and continuing to work toward the band’s biggest ambitions.
For Matthew, the goal is to push their studio work into unfamiliar territory.
“I’m excited to try and make sounds that don’t really exist yet or don’t really sound like anything else,” Matthew says.
Their ambitions extend to the stage, too. Madison Square Garden, Coachella, and Glastonbury are among their dream destinations, with the band even joking about getting matching butterfly tramp-stamp tattoos if they headline Madison Square Garden.
Beneath the joke is a serious goal.
““Being the biggest band in the world has always been our dream, and we are constantly working towards it””
For now, Borderline is focused on writing better music, reaching more audiences, and becoming an even stronger live band. The next chapter is already underway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Borderline is made up of Ben Glanfield on vocals, guitar, and keys; Jackson Boswell on drums and vocals; Matthew McFadden on lead guitar; and Max Harries on bass and saxophone.
Jackson and Matthew met at school and played music together before Ben and Max eventually joined them.
The band draws from pop, funk, rock, blues, metal, jazz, classical music, and New Zealand’s indie-pop-rock scene.
The band is currently touring in Singapore as they continue to expand their international live presence.
The band is developing its second album while continuing to tour and experiment with new sounds.
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