Battle-Ska Galactica Reveal New Album ‘Get Together’
Te Whanganui-a-Tara / Wellington band Battle-Ska Galactica are purveyors of the finest Aotearoa ska music, blasting forth on an intergalactic mission to conquer every dancefloor they come across.
Blending old-school and new-school ska into a unique high-energy skank, the band unites some of the Capital’s most seasoned musicians to unleash a constellation of uplifting horns, bouncing keys, multiple vocals and a blazing rhythm section. While undeniably a ska band, and influenced by all their forebears in the ska world, it is difficult to pin a specific ska style on their music. Combining elements from many other musical streams into their sound, Battle-Ska Galactica present a new take on a genre that has being constantly evolving since its inception in Jamaica in the 1950’s.
Lyrically, the band channels their upbeat grooves into a two-stepping Trojan horse tackling globalisation, environmental concerns, mental health, and smashing capitalism – while partying like there’s no tomorrow!
Battle-Ska Galactica have played shows all across Aotearoa, captivating anyone lucky enough to get caught up in their cosmic riddims. Career highlights include appearances at the Auckland Ska Festival, ToraToraTora Coastal Music Festival, Wellington’s Cuba Dupa, Gardens Magic and Newtown Festivals, Hokitika Wildfoods Festival, Marchfest Nelson, Festival of Lights in New Plymouth, tours of venues in both islands as well as regular outings at their favourite Wellington haunts.
Battle-Ska’s 2012 debut album, Everybody’s Got An Opinion, garnered excellent reviews, including a hearty “Fresh as!” from NZ Musician Magazine. The album can be found on the usual streaming servcices, Bandcamp and at selected good record stores. In 2020 the band released a 7” vinyl single entitled Living a Lie, (Also available on Bandcamp and all other streaming platforms) which received airplay on b-Net radio in NZ and featured on a bevy of international ska podcasts and web radio stations.
Battle-Ska’s new album Get Together releases today February 27 2026.
Recorded across guitarist Saali Marks’ home studio in Wairarapa and Dr. Lee Prebble’s legendary sound space, The Surgery in Wellington, with extra tracking taking place in other band member’s lounges and studios across Wellington. The album features 8 tracks that represent the full range of the Battle-Ska sound, from high tempo bangers like Anxiety that features a deranged sax solo from Frankie Curac, to the instrumental Battle Goes Ska, a nod to the Jamaican roots of the ska sound. The first single was released in September 2025, a live favourite, Doctor Doctor, which discusses modern society’s predilection for prescription medication as a crutch. The second single World Wide Pain dropped on Dec 5 2025, and is a related topic, examining the influence of social media and the 24 hour news cycle on mental health. Both of these serious topics, as with all Battle-Ska Galactica songs, are delivered with humour, cynicism, a catchy tune and a relentless skank.
Marks says, “Ska music is a whole lot of fun. It has the energy of rock music, the skank of reggae, the swing of jazz and the groove of funk. It’s like the ultimate dance music – I challenge anyone to have a bad time at a ska gig!”
