Buffalo Traffic Jam blown away as sold-out Kiwi crowds sing every word

Montana band Buffalo Traffic Jam discovered something special in New Zealand, revealing they were stunned by the reaction from Kiwi fans during their sold-out Auckland shows.

The group, led by Frankie Cassidy and Nathan (Nate) Ross, recently played two sold-out shows at Auckland's Tuning Fork, and according to Frankie, the experience exceeded every expectation.

Chatting with Dan, Frankie said Kiwi audiences take crowd participation to another level.

"You guys are so much fun. In the States, they sing, but it's a different level of singing here. It's like every word. Even the old songs," Frankie said.

That support became immediately obvious when the band walked on stage.

"The first song we play is Strangers Now and right off the riff they started singing. We were shocked," Frankie said.

For a band that has exploded in popularity over the past two years, hearing fans on the other side of the world singing every lyric back was a surreal moment.

Those shows came just months after the release of Buffalo Traffic Jam's debut album, Pictures of You, which arrived in July.

Frankie says the band was unsure how much of the new record to include in their live set before heading out on tour.

"We were curious about how much we were going to play off the new album, but those are the songs that really resonate with us right now," Frankie explained. "It's been really cool to see the crowd reaction and the way people have resonated with it."

The album's success has helped fuel the band's international rise, but despite the momentum, Frankie says the focus remains firmly on the music itself.

"It absolutely does feel like things are growing, but I feel like me and Nate just love making music so much. We try not to get wrapped up in it and just keep doing what we've been doing for the last two years, getting together and playing music and recording it."

Away from the stage, the band have been making the most of their first trip to New Zealand.

"We've been absolutely loving it. It's absolutely beautiful down here and the people are so nice," Frankie said.

Although the keen fly fishers haven't yet managed to get out on the water, Frankie admitted it's still on the band's bucket list before heading home.

Buffalo Traffic Jam began while Frankie and Nate were studying at university in Montana. Before music became a full-time career, both worked various jobs, with Nate eventually moving into engineering while Frankie worked as a cook.

Now, with sold-out shows across New Zealand and Australia, the band's trajectory continues to climb.

Another exciting development is their recent songwriting sessions with fellow Montana artist Sam Barber, an artist Frankie describes as a longtime inspiration.

"For the last two or three years we've been huge fans of Sam Barber," Frankie said. "We've recently been writing with him and hanging out with him, so it's so weird for us to be making music with one of our heroes."

With demand growing rapidly across Australasia and fans packing out venues within minutes, it's safe to say Buffalo Traffic Jam may need a bigger room when they return to New Zealand.

Hear our full chat with Buffalo Traffic Jam below:

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