Unruly is a three-piece sludge band from Wellington, New Zealand, formed in early 2019 by Sarsha Leigh-Douglas (bass), Vanya Vitali (guitar/vocals), and Tony Pearson (drums/vocals). All members are veterans of the Wellington punk scene, with past involvement in bands like TVX, Bonecruncher, DAHTM, Meth Drinker, Rogernomix, Freak Magnet, Scab, Shortlived, and Drug Problem. Vanya also runs Scumbag College studio, a key hub for recording punk and metal bands in the region. Named after the infamous “Unruly Family” of UK tourists who made headlines in New Zealand, the band channels a raw, nihilistic energy into their slow, heavy, downer-buzz sludge sound, drawing influence from bands like Noothgrush and Grief.

Unruly’s self-titled debut album, a seven-track 12” LP, was recorded between November 2019 and April 2020 and released in July 2020 by UK label Sludgelord Records. Plans for a European tour to promote the album were derailed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite this, the band performed at Otautahi Punkfest in October 2020 and the Neil Roberts Day festival in Whanganui in December 2020. New Zealand’s ongoing lockdowns limited their live appearances, with only a few gigs in 2021 and none in 2022.Undeterred, Unruly released their four-track Hominid 12” EP in August 2023 and played a handful of shows to close out the year, including a return to Neil Roberts Day. Since then, the band has entered a period of hibernation, leaving their gritty, negative creep legacy on hold—for now.

Origin	Wellington
Genre	sludge
Years Active	2018 – now
Associated Acts	Meth Drinker, TVX, DAHTM
Past Members	Tony Pearson (drums, vocals) Vanya Vitali (guitar, vocals) Sarsha Leigh-Douglas (bass)