Actor and singer Jared Pallesen shares summer favourites
Monday, 12 January 2026
This summer, The Post is turning up the volume with our series Summer Soundtracks — where artists share the songs and sounds that define the season.
In this edition we chat with Pōneke, performer and creative Jared Pallesen who returned from Sydney (where they appeared in shows such as Wicked, Chicago and Mary Poppins) in 2020 and has spent the last six years growing their career as an actor and singer. Pōneke audiences will recognise Pallesen from WITCH Music Theatre’s recent production of Amélie The Musical, where they played the eccentric grocer’s assistant Lucien among other characters.
They have also featured in multiple seasons of Cringeworthy at Circa Theatre and Centrepoint Theatre, and brought drag and jazzy vocals to the circus/variety show REVEL with Inverted Citizens at the Hannah Playhouse.
In 2026, Pallesen will be touring the country with & Juliet, playing Juliet’s best friend May. Catch them at the St James Theatre from May 9-24.
Beyond the stage, Pallesen has a background in photography and works freelance as a graphic designer and digital artist specialising in promotional material for theatre and live performance.
What song instantly takes you back to a summer moment?
Love Me Again by John Newman. It came out when I was 23 and I listened to it on repeat during my last summer in Wellington before I moved to Sydney for six years. It vividly brings me back to sitting at Frank Kitts Park in the sun with friends.
If New Zealand had a summer anthem, what would it be?
It should be Miracle by Kimbra. It’s so optimistic and joyous. Or for something really iconic, maybe Wandering Eye by Fat Freddy's Drop, a perfect encapsulation of the chilled out Kiwi vibe that we love to embody in summer.
How does the summer season shape your creative process or sound?
As things wind down (usually) for the year, there is definitely more time to explore new music. More time to socialise and hear what others are listening to, nine times out of 10 I get into new music by being recommended an artist by a friend. My favourite place to go in the city during summer for some clearing of the mind time, is round to the end of Oriental Parade to check out the rock pools at Point Jerningham, maybe listening to some Björk or Kate Bush on the walk along the waterfront.
What’s on your personal summer playlist right now — any guilty pleasures or hidden gems?
Raye and Yebba are new favourites, I also have the & Juliet cast album on repeat. The Cranberries always make an appearance in summer for me too. You also simply must check out Wellington artists Jade Merematira and SKRAM. Jade's song Finding Love and SKRAM’s Edge of Desire are just beautiful.
Where do you love to play or listen to music during the holidays?
I'm not often a music on-the-go kind of person, for me it’s usually the focus when it’s playing, not a background feature, so in summer when there’s time to relax, doors open, sun rolling in, music videos queued up on the TV… that’s a good time. I love music videos from the 90s - Alanis Morissette, Jamiroquai, Dido.
What’s one summer gig or musical moment that changed you — as a listener or performer?
The Purple People Eater Pop Concert at CubaDupa by WITCH Music Theatre (it was in March 2021 but is that close enough to summer? The weather was beautiful). I’d been hauled back to Wellington in March 2020 because of the pandemic, and though it had been wonderful to be back home for the past year, watching this concert with my Mum in a packed crowd (pre-community transmission!), seeing my talented friends smash it, it really felt like a turning point for me, the confirmation that I was where I needed to be, that things were happening in Wellington. And the arts scene here, though not without setbacks, has just gone from strength to strength.