Ngaiire

Ngaiire (pron nyrie) stands on the JJJ’s 2010 Next Crop list alongside Kimbra, Lanie Lane, and The Jezabels. The Papua New Guinean born singer-songwriter, who came to Australia at just 16, is building a reputation for herself as one of the country’s most unique and dynamic vocalists and performers. Moving to Sydney after a brief stint studying for a Jazz degree at the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Ngaiire embarked on a long period of touring overseas and in Australia with roots collective Blue King Brown, and mentor and electronic maestro Paul Mac. Years later the need to focus on her own pursuits caused Ngaiire to quit the road and settle back in Sydney where she could discover and build herself as an artist. Adventuring through a long musical journey of discovery from folk soul to jazz hop to indie pop to everything in between, Ngaiire has finally settled on an eclectic sonic identity that is uniquely hers, and with great delivery, reflected through her long-awaited and highly anticipated debut album, ‘Lamentations’ due out June 2013. ‘Lamentations’ is a collection of songs written between her Sydney home and a tiny Japanese drinking bar called Bar Noah located in the sleepy suburb of Ekoda on the outskirts of Tokyo. During the days, Noah was transformed into a writing space for her and Japan based collaborator, pianist and beat maker Aaron Choulai. Come evening, the bar opened for business and Ngaiire would find herself knee deep in Japanese potato wine and the obscure musical tastes of bar owner and house DJ, Hajime, adding further late night inspiration to her writing hiatus. Returning back to Sydney with salubrious additions to the album, ‘Lamentations’ became a joined production effort between Aaron, Sydney bassist Tim Curnick and herself. Partly tracking the album in Tim’s parent’s beach shack in Jervis Bay with her band as well as various studios in Sydney, she enlisted the help of mixing virtuoso, Chris Townend (Portishead, Silverchair, Violent Femmes) spending considerable time locked up in his Tasmanian mountain mixing shack sculpting each song to its’ full potential. ‘Lamentations’, evoking elements of Sbtrkt, Little Dragon and The Dirty Projectors, will indelibly showcase Ngaiire’s great attention to vocal detail and layering as well as her love for musical aesthetics, Aaron’s unique electronic glitch and piano work and Tim’s production mastery of balancing out the live and electronic components of Ngaiire’s music. “You can’t help but fall in love with her…It’s really just the beginning for Ngaiire” – Dom Alessio (Triple J) “Vast and compelling voice” - John Shand (Sydney Morning Herald) “I wouldn’t be surprised if she builds a strong following in the coming year. Seriously, if you see Ngaiire on a bill anywhere go out of your way to see her” – Timber and Steel ‘When I first heard Ngaiire it was one of those moments when you just go, “that has all the right bits in all the right places”. It was like a soulful massage for my eardrums. Beautiful harmonies, great songs, sass, sincerity and soul to spare.’ John Butler