The Transits return with “Tongue Tied,” their first new music since 2025’s Bleed Hope, and the opening statement of what the band are calling Season 3. Released on October 30, 2026, the single brings together the ingredients that have come to define their sound: punk energy, 80s-inspired synths, dark atmospheres and big, infectious pop melodies. Driving guitars and restless drums give the track its urgency, while its strong melodic hooks add an immediate sense of accessibility. The Transits have always found their identity in musical contrasts, bringing together teenage nostalgia and contemporary alternative influences without allowing themselves to settle into one particular genre. “Tongue Tied” continues that approach with a fast, energetic sound that feels both familiar and forward-looking. After two albums and a productive period spent writing and recording demos throughout 2026, the single signals that the band are ready to begin another creative chapter.
The story of The Transits is also one of collaboration across distance. Ryan Lunn, Dom Antelme and Tyrone Smith first played together as teenagers in Durban, South Africa, before reuniting years later across continents. Now split between Auckland and Durban, the trio exchange songs and ideas across the ocean, taking each other’s contributions apart and rebuilding them into something shared. Lunn handles guitars and synths and produces and mixes the band’s music, while he and Antelme share vocal duties. Antelme’s melodic basslines and Tyrone Smith’s urgent drumming complete a sound that can shift from punk-driven guitars to shimmering electronic textures. Their previous releases have already brought significant attention: their self-titled debut arrived in 2024, with “When You Went Away” reaching South Africa’s Top 10 and later winning Best New Zealand Music Video. Their second album, Bleed Hope, expanded their mix of indie rock, punk, dark pop and synths. The video for “Dancing with Shadows” also earned international recognition, winning Best Music Video at the Europe Music Awards and receiving nominations at film festivals in Hollywood, Seoul and Italy. These achievements reflect a band whose creative ambitions extend beyond the music into the visual worlds surrounding it.
That visual ambition is particularly evident in the music video for “Tongue Tied,” which continues The Transits’ tradition of releasing a Halloween-inspired film each year. This time, Dom Antelme steps behind the camera to direct a horror short set inside a creepy old manor. Taking inspiration from the psychological unease and visual atmosphere of The Shining, the film follows the band into increasingly strange surroundings, creating an experience that sits somewhere between a music video and a horror movie. It gives the single another dimension, matching its darker character with a cinematic setting and a sense of unsettling mystery. The combination of energetic pop-punk, 80s synth influence and horror-inspired storytelling makes “Tongue Tied” a fitting start to Season 3. Two albums into their journey, The Transits continue to build their own distinctive world, and this latest release suggests there is plenty more to come.
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