JUST JANIE - Mythology of the Girls
JUST JANIE releases her first single this February 2026, from the forthcoming album of the same name – Mythology of the Girls – out this May for NZ Music Month.
Just Janie is emerging as a compelling new voice in Aotearoa Indie Folk. Born and raised in Central Otago, Just Janie grew up writing songs tucked beneath the Hawkdun Ranges. Janie writes music and poetry as a form of creative therapy.
Mythology of the Girls is about why the Manson Girls ‘should have stayed home’
Hollywood, Hippies, 1960’s counterculture, the beach boys. The song and wider album considers nostalgia for an era experienced through a modern lens, an era where many women faced a myriad of societal limitations. The song is about women's stories that have been swallowed by men. Women riding rusty bikes and taking rides in Cadillacs. Cult fanaticism and the repercussions of desire to belong.
‘And the chorus will cry, that utopian dreams die with the mythology of the girls’
Inspired by artists such as Joni Mitchell, her sound pays tribute to the folk scene of the late 60’s and early 70’s. Using vintage recording processes, Just Janie tracked the song via an analogue pathway to tape. An ambitious and increasingly rare approach allowing them to sonically replicate an era inspiring the music.
Just Janie’s first EP Muse and Musician, was released in July 2024, and surpassed a million streams, with The Spinoff (NZ July 2024), observing:
‘If you find yourself on a hike this weekend… daydreaming about Laurel Canyon, it might be the perfect time for Just Janie’s ‘Muse and Musician’.’
Her single, Musings in the Breakfast Aisle gained Just Janie recognition as a 2024 Ōtautahi OMAP artist (Saltbox Studios / RDU 98.5FM) and NZ Musician credited it as
‘A vocally rich and powerful lament of indecision, the song was part of the menu on NZ On Air ‘s February 2025 New Tracks compilation'
Just Janie is carving a path as one to watch. Having performed at Sanctuary Sounds in Hawkes Bay this summer, she secured a spot as a Tussock Music Festival artist for 2026, and will be embarking on a nationwide tour to support the release of her album in late 2026.
Just Janie and Sig Wilder (with their band) have also recorded and filmed a 10-track Live Album which is set to be released in Spring 2026.
Mythology of the Girls Single: Presave Link
Just Janie – Cherry: 13th Floor New Song of the Day (August 2025)
Happy Mag: Article I. (July 19 2024) / Article II. (July 12 2024)
The music video for Mythology of the Girls was shot by Janie Shaw at Sublime Studio in the Waitaki Valley while recording.
Credits:
Recorded at Sublime Studios
Songwriting: Janie Shaw
Additional vocals: Tim Shaw, Finley Passmore
Guitar: Janie Shaw, Tim Shaw
Harmonica: Matthew Campbell and Tim Shaw
Bass: Connor Jaine
Drums: Finley Passmore
Produced by Connor Jaine, Janie Shaw and Tim Shaw
Sound Engineering: Tom Havard
Tape Operation: Sam Charlesworth
Mixed by Connor Jaine
Mastered by Josh Llewellyn at Downbeat Mastering
Creative Director/ Videography: Janie Shaw
Music Video Production and Editing: Matilda McAndrew
Mythology of the Girls Single: Presave Link / Music Video
Photos / Press Kit Link: EPK via Google Drive