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Who supports you to make music ? Family with resources and time , friends attending shows and listening to the millionth mix of a song and asking for perspective .
Who do you make your music for ? Firstly for ourselves , then for our peers that inspire us , we want to keep the cycle of creation continuing .
What local artists do you listen to and / or are inspired by ? Opensouls , Jane Deezy , Rizvan , Ladi 6 , Noah Slee so many to name .
How much do you listen or research other music – local and international ? Constantly listen for new tunes and styles , when it ’ s a part of your daily routine you are constantly seeking new inspiration and a sense of direction so knowing what is out there is helpful .
Can you share details about your creative process ? We don ’ t have a set process , we tend to try an arrange of things . We are all experienced writers but we ’ ve only been writing together for a year , so we ’ re still finding out what works collectively . How we start will alternate from the beat , to themes , to melodies . Our writing style is ever evolving .
What is your recording process ? We normally record at Heaths but some times we go on writing retreats and record wherever we are for demo quality . To capture ideas , sometimes I record it down on my phone just a rough vocal demo or if we ’ re organised we in the recording studio when we ’ re writing .
What was the process to write / record / release your first EP ? Our fi rst music was all planned by theme . We sat down and wanted to address the biggest needs of NZ and we identifi ed homelessness , domestic violence , tall poppy syndrome , teen suicide , the draw to move away from NZ because we can ’ t afford to live here and social media . the cover art . Most of it we handle in house and bring in talented muso ’ s for the finer touches such as Jono Tan on horns , Chris Tan on bass , Nat Pickings on guitar and Adam Fuhr on keys , we also have Beau Jefferies that handles our mastering .
Do you identify yourself as a Pacific artist – and why ? I identify as an artist from the Pacific . This is because the art is as much of who I am , as the origins of me .
What is your definition of Pacific music ? Pacific music is undefinable .
How influenced are you by other artists – local or overseas – and the industry If you don ’ t learn in this industry then it becomes harder . So yes , we ’ ve been very influenced in the way we approach the business , but in general we are more influenced by finding out how to communicate what we have to say , in a way that resonates more sincerely with ourselves .
Where do you see Pacific music within the NZ music industry ? I see our role as performing a dual purpose . On one end our cultural focus provides tradition and history which highlights our connection to the past . We are also on the other end of feeling under represented in the industry , which makes you look to innovate and challenges you to stand out . This gives us a unique future focus .
Where do you see Pacific music on the international scene ? Pacific music needs confidence and effort but has the potential to be its own dominant movement , it just takes collaboration and a joint focus as a community and investors .
What is a future goal or aspiration that you have , as an artist ? To win a Grammy and bring Pacific stories to the world
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What people do you work with to create and release your music ? We are all independent we do everything except create
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