We’re big fans of Ngaiire over here in frankie land. (One of her songs – “Once” – was even featured in our issue 131 road test!) We got the chance to pick her brain about all the musical bits and bobs going on in her life at the moment – including the not one, not two, but THREE albums she’s currently working on. Have a squiz below!

My music could be described as… A place for people to feel a little less burdened. 

The first time I realised I wanted to be a musician was when… I’d pour over Mariah Carey’s MTV Unplugged cassette. That EP healed me. My young life was very dramatic back then. My parents separated around the same time our town got destroyed by a major twin volcanic eruption so I needed an outlet and I wanted to do exactly what Mariah did for me in that time for other people. 

My rider consists of… Too many healthy snacks right now. Lots of peanut butter protein balls, coconut water, kombucha, rice thins, sweet potato chips, fruit and vegetables. We also have disposable cameras that are incredibly bad for the environment, so at least we got that to balance it out. (And ingredients to make Manhattans.)

My favourite thing about making “Afar” was… I made it with my band. I’d never written anything with my band before which is crazy considering how long we’ve been together. I’ve got more life lived with them probably than most people I write with so it felt super raw and special to write. 

The secret to performing a perfect show is… Getting out of your head. And spells. I try to access the DNA of a song I’ve sung hundreds of times like it’s the first time I’ve sung it in front of people and that often feels like casting spells. 

I get over a creative block by… Going outside, taking a walk or you could take it one step further and break up with a friend if you’re completely dead inside and need to feel something. Half kidding. 

The perfect scene in which to listen to my album is… On a moving train, in a different country with a broken heart. 

At BIGSOUND in September, what I’m hoping to get out of it is… We want to put some flags up overseas which means building a team there so hoping to play to people that align with that. 

If I could tour with any band or musician, it would be… James Blake. I would die and come back to life. Every show. 

The project I’m working on at the moment is… I have three albums on the go at the moment. One is a wild arty electro project with Paul Mac and Paul Grabowsky. One is a sexy little yearn-y Neil Young, early-Kelissy pot of gold that I wrote with Melbourne producer Geography (a lot of people will hear it at BIGSOUND), and there’s the project “Afar” came from. 

After more ripper music chats? Spy our chinwag with rad rockers Swapmeet or check out our chat with creative type Olana Janfa. Plus, sign up to our newsletter to stay in the loop.