Cruelly Commune

Their flat has a stage, just one noise complaint, and an honorary cat band member 

Photography / Eli Armstrong

At the top of one of Wellington’s many hills, bashing drums and dark vocals echo through the halls of a tall house. This flat is home to Cruelly, a band that's impossible to miss.  

They welcomed us into their beautiful old flat as we bustled in, attempting to hide from the storm ensuing outside. The wind bashed on the windows as we received the grand tour, including a peek at their very own outdoor stage. Just past their three-year band anniversary, the old walls of the flat have watched Cruelly morph and develop into a powerhouse grungegaze band.  

With Haylee singing and on guitar, Amber on base and backing vocals, Sam on guitar, and Milan on drums, the group have cultivated that raw sludgy sound that you can feel in your gut. When Cruelly first started in April 2022, they were more focused on punk but have moved towards grunge.  

There are a few honorary members of the band that casual fans might not realise are the brains behind the operation. Ozzy, Haylee’s sphynx cat, is sure to sing his heart out whenever given the chance. He even demonstrated his skills for me throughout my chat with fellow bandmates. 

In June of last year, Ozzy was diagnosed with cancer. To pay for their essential member’s treatment, Cruelly hosted a fundraiser event. The treatment was made possible and almost a year later Ozzy is still meowing along to songs like ‘No Doubt’ and ‘Snuff It Out’ from Cruelly’s latest EP, Ugly Behaviour.  

Maria, the band’s pink-haired-swag-sunnies-wearing mannequin doesn’t say much, but she sure does make a great model. Our photographer had some complaints about her low range of poses. 

Last but certainly not least, a figure in the band that cannot be ignored is Wellington itself. Guitarist Sam says, “The music community is here, it’s now, and it’s fucking awesome.” With only one singular nose complaint to their name, Wellington is the place for Cruelly.  

Lead singer, Haylee, feels as though what they have here is special, “Community is a big part of the reason we feel like this is the place for us.” Even as the rain pummeled outside, I could feel the groups admiration for the place they called home.  

But, in the band’s love for their scene they also feel an urge to protect it. Although Wellington is known for its accepting and welcoming culture, any scene that is married to partying, sex, and drugs has its issues.  

All members commented on how important they felt it was to embody safety and justice throughout their career. Haylee articulates, “We make sure that our part of contributing to the music scene is upholding those values and setting by example.”  

With new bands emerging and others fading out, the music scene in Wellington has changed a lot since Cruelly started. Regardless, the band believes there's always been a baseline keeping it alive. Haylee explains, “We’ve seen it change over the years. I think that the thing that always stays is that if bands dissipate or move away, there’s still an urge for people to be doing things together, having fun, and putting on good shows.”  

Whilst Cruelly have found their sound and scene, they have also been heavily focused on their look and branding. They have always had a huge respect for bands with a cohesive aesthetic and believe it shows how invested musicians are in the dream. When I asked how important they think aesthetic is they all smile, and Sam says, “Its everything.” 

Embodying this aesthetic was their recent EP, Ugly Behaviour, released in December last year. The music is undoubtably emotional with anger or melancholy coming out in every one of Haylee’s screams. She wears her honesty proudly saying, “In regard to feeling vulnerable, for me personally, that's empowering. Having the ability to wear that on my sleeve in front of other people is cathartic for me and hopefully for other people as well.” 

Cruelly continues to play their hearts out in their flat on top of the hill, hopefully maintaining their singular noise complaint, and of course, with the support of cat Ozzy and mannequin Maria.