Ngaiire

Ngaiire is a future folk/soul artist from Sydney.

Ngaiire (ny-ree) has never been one to reside within the confines of a musical box constantly bleeding out the corners, owing to having such a diverse upbringing. Migrating to Australia from Papua New Guinea at the ready age of 16, the challenge of cultural adjustment lead her to find solace in, what seemed to her, the familiar souls of Sarah Vaughan and Jeff Buckley, both present in her vocal style today.

At 18, she began a Jazz degree at the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music. With only half way through her degree she felt the conservatorium become a creative barrage for her prompting her to move to Sydney where she could immerse herself in a place she knew would terrify her to the point of becoming better at her art. Almost immediately she was invited to join various bands on tour spending the best part of her first 3 years in Sydney living out of her suitcase; a different state, a different town, a different country every month. One of these bands being electronic maestro and founder of Itch-E & Scratch-E, Paul Mac whom she says became her mentor and introduction to the arbitrary world of incessant touring.

“When we were out at after parties, Paul would always forbid people offering me anything, eckies, coke, weed etc. When I became a little older he chilled out a bit. He told me, ‘Ngaiire, do any drug you want, just stay the hell away from acid” – Ngaiire

Ngaiire returned back to Sydney with a new understanding and appreciation of her capabilities as an artist and singer, a respect for the process of arrival and a maturity that would help her make decisions such as decline an invitation to relocate to New York and sign with founder of Lauryn Hill’s former label, Ruffhouse Records, Stephen Stone.

With a voice that some have described as a powerful ‘mourning’, the 25 year old singer songwriter creates a unique live experience both theatrically and musically brilliant reflected in her stand out sets at last year’s One Movement Festival in Perth and earlier this year, a double header show with Melbourne’s Husky.

Releasing her single ‘Filthy’ in November, the debut album to follow will likely turn a few heads with its obvious eclectic sound with no partiality to a particular style of writing or listening. You will find her drawing influences from early 1930′s Disney, to the vocal yearnings of aforementioned Jeff Buckley, to the enigmatic cool of Erykah Badu, which in essence has resulted in her own brand of indie infused soul, a combination that is sure to welcome in 2012 as one of her biggest years yet.