Ngaiire

As well as being supremely talented, she has a sensitivity and maturity beyond her years. “I’m quite lucky in that I’ve always been very intuitive, with a solid idea of where I’m going, what I want to do and what I want to experience,” Ngaiire says.

Born in Papua New Guinea, Ngaiire lived in three different countries by the age of 16. A cancer diagnosis at age three, while living in New Zealand, had a significant impact on the woman she is today. She has said that her 2013 single ‘Dirty Hercules’ is a reflection on body image after surgery left her with physical scars.

Despite her early struggles, she was encouraged by her parents from a young age into a life of creative pursuits, via their passion for opera, ballet and fashion. “Music has always been the way I express myself,” she says. “When I was younger, I always viewed songs as a form of poetry that didn’t necessarily need to make sense to anyone else.”

Ngaiire’s critically acclaimed debut album Lamentations, which is now two years old,showcased her natural talent for songwriting and captured international attention, leading to an invitation to play Glastonbury and the opportunity to share the spotlight in support of soul and R&B heavyweights Alicia Keys and John Legend. However, as she prepares for the release of her follow-up LP (confirmed to be titled Blastoma, which is a form of cancer usually found in children), she reflects on adopting a different approach.

“The whole process of putting together this new album forced me to think about what I’m actually trying to say and what I want people to get from the lyrics,” she says. “In the past I’ve been quite nervous – I was very self-conscious of what people would think of my lyrics, so a lot of the time I mumbled my way through songs because I was embarrassed about whether people would think they were stupid. Now looking back, I think that was very much to do with my own want or need to learn how to construct a song better.”

Co-written with Megan Washington and longtime collaborator Paul Mac, Ngaiire’s latest single ‘Once’ is a delicious taste of things to come. Her smooth and sultry vocals dance over a hypnotic backbeat with a restraint that illustrates total control over her powerful vocal ability. The lyrics define the necessity of taking a risk to reap the reward – a sentiment that is echoed in Ngaiire’s personal journey. “Megan is a master of songwriting,” she says. “She’s so quick and witty – and always on the money.”

Blastoma was produced by Mac and Jack Grace over a period of two years, across continents and time zones. “Blastoma happened somewhere between London and New York,” Ngaiire explains. “At separate times, Jack, Paul and I would be in different parts of the world, so we had to send tracks back and forth to each other, but the bulk of it was recorded in Paul’s studio in Newtown, Sydney. Both Paul and Jack think a lot about structure and they’re very good at constructing perfect pop songs. Their influence is very much represented on ‘Once’ and all the songs on Blastoma.”

While Ngaiire is very open about the musical partnerships she has forged in recent years, the credit for her personal and professional growth can be attributed solely to her determined spirit and unwavering commitment to be her own artist. The unpleasant experience of life as an Australian Idol contestant, more than ten years ago, only led to a strengthening of her resolve – and the recent news she’s been named as a finalist in APRA’s 2015 Professional Development Awards is recognition that she’s on the right track.

“It’s been quite a journey, but I’ve definitely evolved and developed a lot and I think people will notice that in the new songs,” she says.

In the lead-up to the release of Blastoma early next year,Ngaiire will appear at summer festivals around the city, including One Day Only, The Plot and Field Day, as well as headlining the Be You Block Party as part of the Glebe Street Fair this weekend.

“I love playing my hometown,” she says. “Sydney audiences have been really good to me lately. I’ll be showcasing a lot of tracks from the new album, so that will be exciting and a little bit nerve-racking at the same time. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Already, Ngaiire has amassed a loyal following around the world thanks to an authentic and unique body of work – and the most exciting part is that her best work is yet to come.

“When I was younger, there was always an urgency to have an EP or to have an album out, but now I’m happy that things travelled at the speed that they did. I’ve learnt that it’s really important to enjoy your younger years and let the process happen naturally.”