There’s something special about a track that feels just as natural in a packed club as it does over coffee in a quiet café. Willy Delphia’s new single “Fender Bender,” featuring Charlie Flynn on flute, nails that balance. It’s the lead track from his debut EP All In, released today, and it pulls you straight into a warm, groovy world of jazz house, disco house and deep house.
Willy Delphia is the house music project of New Zealand keys player Ben Stewart, now based in London. His sound is built around escapism through dance, mixing old-school house foundations with jazz harmony and groove. Influences like Close Counters, Dan Kye, Kerri Chandler and Peven Everett come through clearly, but the result still feels personal. He performs live with a five-piece band that uses samplers, synths and a full percussion setup to create a big, live energy. The project has already picked up plays on BBC Introducing, NTS, Soho Radio and other stations, plus features in Somewhere Soul’s New Music Friday and Arjuna Oakes’ “Best Emerging Voices from New Zealand” in Clash Magazine.
“Fender Bender” sits right in the middle of that world. It’s an upbeat jazzy-house cut that stays playful and energetic while dipping into deeper, darker house territory in the middle section. Charlie Flynn’s flute is the standout guest element. Flynn runs the well-known Donut Jam nights in London, a community event backed by Arts Council England that draws strong musicians, and his contribution here adds a light, rhythmic spark that sits perfectly with the tight rhythm section. The whole track moves with an easy confidence that works both on the dancefloor and in more relaxed settings.
The wider EP All In is described as an escapist journey through house and jazz, featuring collaborations from New Zealand and the UK. “Fender Bender” sets the tone as the lead single, and recent activity around the project shows steady momentum: a number-four spot on the Radioactive.fm chart in New Zealand, a headline show at Next Door Records II in London with Tibo Step and Sunny Reyne, selection for Donut Jam in Peckham, and ongoing radio support.
Jazz house and disco-leaning deep house have been having a strong moment again, with listeners looking for music that feels human and groovy rather than purely functional. Tracks that bring live-instrument energy into electronic frameworks are connecting especially well right now, and Delphia’s approach fits that appetite. The combination of jazz harmony, house rhythms and a clear sense of place—New Zealand roots meeting the London scene—gives the music a distinct flavour without forcing it.
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“Fender Bender” is a strong introduction to Willy Delphia’s sound—groovy, well-crafted and easy to return to. Give it a spin and see where the flute and the rhythm section take you. What do you think of this blend of jazz house and deeper grooves? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
