Paige Photo: Supplied
Tāmaki Makaurau artist Paige is no stranger to Music 101, which has had her in the studio several times over the past five years.
After first recording her own songs in her bedroom, her songs have now been streamed millions of times. And she's off to Australia this coming week to play her first overseas shows, supporting Odette in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
She released a single yesterday called 'Dance With You', from an album set to arrive later this year. She spoke to her old Waiau Pa School friend Leonard Powell about what it's like chasing her pop dreams in New Zealand.
Creating the new album has been exciting, and a big learning curve, Paige said. She's not yet revealed its name.
"I didn't expect to do an album so quick. I thought I'd do another EP because I did an EP in 2020. And an album is such a change ...it's huge, it's expensive, I'm broke now.
"I wrote the songs long ago ... three years ago some of them ... so I'm like 'let's just get it out' ... but then at the same time it's scary. I'm more so excited about it though. It's going to be really cool, my first album!"
Paige's social media posts reflect a down-to-earth openness about the realities of being an artist and working a 'day job' to support her dreams.
"I kind of have to make light of it by posting about it," she said. "It's just my way of finding it fun... so many of us are working toward our dreams and doing stuff that we don't want to do.
"And I think that social media kind of glamourises a lot of things to make it look a-mazing, and I think it's funny to be like actually no - this is how it is."
Her songs match funky beats with dreamy lyrics and gloriously sweet harmonies. Dance With You, Paige posted online, was about 'the first time falling love has been kind' to her.
"I wrote it about meeting my boyfriend Luke in a club - it was [Auckland dance club] 1885, which is now gone.
"I never go out to town ever, and the one time I was there I met him and I was like that has to be a sign - but I went up to him that night and I was like 'Are you a Pisces? ... and I don't know why I said that, I just hoped he was a Pisces. ...And he was like 'yeah'.
"I didn't know much about zodiac signs until uni, till I left school and started meeting people, and I [wondered] why do these people have the same characteristics - and then I learnt that they were Aquarius.
"It's not something that I'm like wholeheartedly, yes this is the truth, but it's stuff that I find really fascinating and interesting."
Another song on the upcoming album is called 'Aquarian': "And that's about my mum."
Paige is looking forward to playing summer gigs and festivals, including heading back to her home town Waiau Pa's much celebrated big calendar date, Summer Sounds, which features lots of locals and up-and-coming young musicians.
The local music teacher is a well-known familiar face at the show, and could often be spotted dancing along to performances alongside her pupils.
"Our music teacher was really encouraging of us to write songs and to perform in front of the school every year, and I guess that's what got me going," Paige says.
Her song California includes footage of her as a 6-year-old, singing at Waiau Pa School.
While it was still being assembled, the new album faced a complication with the title.
"It's just awful," she laughs.
"I planned this album title for three years, I knew my album was going to be called Anti-hero. And then Taylor Swift comes along with 'Anti-hero' as a single, and it's one of her biggest songs to date. I was so mad.
"The album was based around the idea of an anti-hero - being the villain but also being the hero. Now I've had to change the title to something that's also quite nice but just not as good."
So now, she is rushing to get the album out before her next title gets snapped up. And alongside that project, she has also been expanding her skills in music production.
"I've been producing for maybe the past year ... I did a session with Elaina, who's another artist from New Zealand and she's so great.
"I really want to dive into it, serious! I got a studio at Parachute Studios where I do production now. I'm learning a lot, it's hard, so hard - you've got to be tech savvy, but I love it."
