Ngaiire

Ngaiire was born, as Ngaire Laun J Joseph,[2] in 1984 in Lae, Papua New Guinea, and is the eldest of three siblings. Her Grandfather was a pastor.[3] She is bilingual: being fluent in English and Tok Pisin. Her parents moved to Palmerston North, New Zealand when she was one year old to study and the family returned to Papua New Guinea (PNG) six years later.[4]

While in New Zealand Ngaiire was diagnosed with ganglioneuroblastoma, which manifested as a cancer of her adrenal glands at the age of three.[5][6][7] This later influenced the music video for her 2013 single, "Dirty Hercules".[8]

Ngaiire and her family were living in Rabaul until the Mt Tarvurvur volcano erupted in September 1994 and covered most of the town (including their home) with volcanic ash.[9] She attended Sacred Heart International Primary School, Rabaul before going to Lae Christian Academy.[9] Her parents had divorced after returning to PNG, both subsequently remarried. She learnt that music could make her life more stable, "When I was about 11 or 12 and I was living in PNG and singing was just one of those things I did. I listened to a lot of music. Life there has loads of craziness and so many unexpected things happen. Music gave me the ability to talk about and feel all the things that were going on in my world."[10] She explained, "I always viewed songs as a form of poetry that didn't necessarily need to make sense to anyone else."[11]

In 2000, Ngaiire moved to Lismore, New South Wales, with her mother, Miriam Murphy,[6] and stepfather where she attended Kadina High School until 2003.[12] She entered the local Accelerator music competition in 2002 and recorded her first song, "I Remember", for the Accelerator 2002: The Winners album at Top Cat Recording Studios, Alstonville for Windsong Records.[12][13] In 2003, She moved to Mackay, Queensland to start her Bachelor of Jazz Studies at Central Queensland University (CQU).[1] While at university she fronted local jazz bands.[1]

In 2004, Ngaiire's entered the second season of Australian Idol. She was voted off while in the top 30[14][15] but was brought back as a "wild card" for the live shows. Ngaiire was voted off a second time in the top 13. Ngaiire with other top 12 contestants, guested on the grand final night.[6] In 2014, Buzzfeed's Mikey Nicholson rankedNgaiire's rendition of India Arie's "Back to the Middle" in the top 10 all time Australian Idol performances.[16]

Following Australian Idol, Ngaiire returned to her jazz studies and attempted to reduce the perceived stigma associated with appearing on the talent show.[17] She turned down offers from American recording industry professionals and remained independent by signing with Wantok Musik Foundation.[18]

Her second solo recording was a four-track single, "Luv Sa Giaman",[19] which translates as "Love Tells Lies". She recorded it with a Lismore-based band, the Rent, in 2005 and released it in Australia through WindSong Records label. Ngaiire and the Rent toured PNG in support of the single.[20]

Ngaiire joined Blue King Brown as a backing vocalist in 2004 following their debut single, "Water". She toured with them for the next four years in support of the band's self-titled debut EP and first album, Stand Up in 2006. With Ngaiire they toured the United Kingdom, Japan, Europe and Canada as well as regional Australia. She explained to Miranda Freeman of Rip It Up! that during this period she matured as a musician and learned how to be a successful independent artist.[21]

Ngaiire was the featured vocalist on Paul Mac's single, "It's Not Me, It's You", released in December 2005. The song reached No. 8 on the ARIA Club Tracks chart.[22] Ngaiire was a vocalist on Paul Mac's Australian tour in support of his second studio album, Panic Room. He described her as a "diminutive bomb of goodness" to AustralianStage's Lloyd Bradford Syke.[23]

Ngaiire recorded her debut extended play, Song for No One, in 2007 with Sydney-based producer, Tony Buchen (aka Buchman). The EP provided the singles "Song for No One", and the 1920s-style "Glorious". "Glorious" was a popular track with Triple J and National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) supporting the creation of a music video, produced by Karla Conway.

John Butler asked Ngaiire to precede his set at the 2009 East Coast Blues and Roots Festival and supported her professional development with management training and funding via his JB Seed Fund.[24][25][26]

In March 2010, Ngaiire release a second EP titled Two Minds.

In 2010, Triple J listed Ngaiire on the 2010 Next Crop artist list and played her tracks on Triple J Unearthed.[27]

In 2013, Ngaiire contacted jazz pianist and producer Aaron Choulai via email, starting with, "Hey, man, I just really love what you do. Can I come over to Japan and hang out with you a bit and write some music?"[3] Choulai agreed and they spent two weeks working together,[28] which she described to Kate Kingsmill of theMusic.com.au as, "you just had to keep cracking and keep cracking until it burst open. And once you got there it was the best feeling. Nothing could really replace the feeling of having completed a song."[3] For recording sessions she returned to Sydney where she used Tim Curnick on bass guitar and as another co-producer.[28]

Ngaiire released her debut studio album, Lamentations in July 2013.[3] The title was inspired by a combination of Henry Purcell's Dido's Lament and the Book of Lamentations, together with fantasy and personal experience.[3] Prior to finishing the album Ngaiire damaged her spine in a car accident and experienced the death of two close relatives.[28] The album received positive reviews.[29][21]

At the 9th Australian Music Prize, Lamentations was nominated the Most Highly Regarded Album in 2013[30] and was ranked at number 27 by Faster Louder on the 2013 Critics list and number 25 on the Readers List.[31]

In 2014, Ngaiire returned from performing at the Glastonbury Festival to the news that her partner of five years (and the producer of Lamentations) had ended their relationship.[32]

In July 2015, Ngaiire released, "Once", the lead single from her second studio album. The accompanying music video was styled in the form of an interview and biographical dream, with a live recording also being produced in the Triple J Like a Version studio. "Once" polled 73rd on the Triple J Hottest 100, 2015[33] and was noted for appearing on the list despite being released on an independent label by an unsigned artist. "Once" resulted in Ngaiire's first solo appearance on the list and is the first instance of a Papua New Guinean-born artist making it into the Hottest 100.[34]

The second single, "Diggin'" was released in February 2016, and debuted at number 16 on the Australian Independent Music Charts.[35] The music video is heavy in its use of shadows and gold with lithe, provocative dance moves. "Diggin'" is a track that speaks of "being found before you find yourself in a permanent state of no return", and was called a "triumphant celebration of life".[36][37]

The album's third single "House on a Rock", was released in May 2016. It was described as being more electronic and dance-able than previous singles, and was also called "the most innovative soul music Australia has seen".[38] The accompanying music video was shot in Tel Aviv[39] and gives a "behind closed doors" look at a failed relationship.[40]In June 2016, Ngaiire released her second studio album Blastoma, named after her childhood disease.[5] The album was produced by Choulai, Mac and Jack Grace (p.k.a. Jack Britten). Ngaiire collaborated more widely than on previous works and recorded it over two years, primarily at Mac's studio in Erskineville.[41]

Howl & Echoes said it's "a carefully considered, cohesive and dynamic album"[42][43] The Interns said it "form[ed] a happy marriage of old soul, experimentation and futuristic vision".[42][44] Beat Magazine said it was an evolution on prior works, with a more mature and refined sound than on Lamentations.[32][45]

On 18 June 2016, the album debuted at number 41 on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart.[46]

Ngaiire spent three years working on material for a new album. These preparations have included trips back to Papua New Guinea and a much stronger focus on collaborative songwriting than has occurred in previous albums.

In 2018 APRA AMCOS appointed Ngaiire as an ambassador.[47][48]

In October 2019, Ngaiire released "Shiver", the lead single from her third studio album.[49] "Shiver" was shortlisted for the 2019 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition.[50]

As lead artist

As featured artist

Other appearances

Notes

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.

The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. They commenced in 2005.

The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene. The awards commenced in 2016.