Fresh off the release of her debut single Decadence, April Nisbet is starting a new chapter as Tebsin — and it’s a noticeable shift.
After more than a decade fronting pop-punk band False Heights, playing loud rooms and bigger stages, this project feels a lot more close-up. Less about pushing out, more about sitting with things.
Decadence leans into that space. It’s moody, a bit cinematic, and rooted in a moment where Nisbet realised something had to change — and actually followed through on it.
We caught up with Tebsin to talk making that jump, writing more honestly, and what it means to back yourself when it finally matters.
HAPPY: What’d you get up to today?
TEBSIN: I went to work at Southern Cross Hospital in Rotorua where I am a part of the Supply Chain Team.
I have 2 more days left working there before moving to Auckland. After work I did an interview with our local newspaper to promote the release of my single, ‘Decadence,’ and now I am sipping tea and eating timtams.
HAPPY: Tell us a little about where you’re from, and what you love about it!
TEBSIN: I am from Rotorua, New Zealand. It’s a beautiful place to live! There are so many lakes and forests to explore, the cafe culture is great and being a tourism hub there is always something happening in the city.
HAPPY: Congratulations on the debut single, ‘Decadence.’ The song explores the pull between desire and self-destruction. What was the moment or feeling that sparked the need to write it?
TEBSIN: Thank you! I had an epiphany of sorts in 2024 that the life I was living wasn’t entirely what I wanted.
I had a fundamental urge to pursue a solo music project that I just couldn’t ignore anymore and I decided to stop suppressing it.
I grew up with the idea that original music could only ever be a hobby so the desire to invest so much into my songwriting felt decadent.
It felt wrong. I wrote ‘Decadence’ to help me unpack and process what I was feeling during this big shift in my life.
HAPPY: ‘Decadence’ feels incredibly cinematic. When you were creating it, did you have a specific visual or a scene in your mind?
TEBSIN: I experience music like random scenes from a movie playing out in my head, or sometimes just colours and patterns.
To me ‘Decadence’ is black and white and swirly grey smoke. It’s a late night rainy city street, silk dresses and stilettos under streetlights, cocktail bars and hotel lobbies.
It’s walking down a crowded street whilst feeling isolated by your inner narrative.
HAPPY: How did your decade of experience fronting a pop-punk band prepare you for the emotional intimacy required for a project like Tebsin?
TEBSIN: False Heights gave me the best classroom for figuring out who I am as an artist and performer.
I got comfortable performing on stage in different types of venues to crowds that varied from as small as 10 people right up to 15,000+ which is the biggest I’ve ever stood in front of to date.
I think the most valuable learning arc was shifting from writing and releasing based on what I thought other people would want to hear, to writing and releasing what felt authentic to me.
HAPPY: You’ve described your new sound as “sad girl pop.” What does that genre mean to you, and what do you hope listeners feel when they connect with it?
TEBSIN: To me “sad-girl pop” suggests emotional intimacy. As a listener I expect a song that takes me on a journey of emotion genuinely experienced by the artist.
So, I hope that whomever I am privileged enough to have as listeners to my stories feel like they get a glimpse of something in my music that has significantly impacted me, something they can connect to and hopefully makes them feel less alone in their own experiences.
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HAPPY: You’re celebrating the release with intimate acoustic shows. How does performing in that raw, close setting change the way a song like ‘Decadence’ lands?
TEBSIN: It’s an opportunity to share ‘Decadence’ stripped back to the form it was written in.
My vocal performance cuts through more powerfully and it makes the delivery of the story much more direct.
HAPPY: You’ve described your music as being for people who need to feel seen and less alone. What’s a song by another artist that has made you feel that way?
TEBSIN: Now that’s a hard question to answer because there are so many, and it depends what emotion I am processing.
I often fall back on 23 by Jimmy Eat World. It can be interpreted in a number of ways but for me it reminds me to keep moving on when the wallowing process is no longer needed for healing, or if I am avoiding starting something I really want to do but I’m afraid to get wrong.
“You’ll sit alone forever if you wait for the right time, what are you hoping for?”
HAPPY: You’ve chosen the name “Tebsin” for this project. What does that name represent for you, and how does it differ from putting music out under your own name, April?
TEBSIN: Tebsin puts a bit of space between my personal life and my art, and it allows me to feel more relaxed in my artistic expression.
I came up with Tebsin is my last name spelled backwards. I came up with it when I was married as a way to honour my maiden name.
HAPPY: Lastly, what makes you happy?
TEBSIN: I have an amazing family and friends that fill my cup, and I am in a position to fund creating and sharing my songwriting.
I love going on fun adventures, watching live music, hitting the gym, brunching.. and honestly, nothing beats a lovely cup of earl grey tea, a packet of biscuits and a good book.
