The music industry, as a general rule, loves to make grand and sweeping statements when it comes to the trajectory of artist’s careers. It keeps the dream alive; the allure of an artist and their gravitas, myth and their narrative a part of the ongoing conversation while in reality everyone is busy counting their Spotify statistics, sitting as part of the huge master in pile at Triple J and jostling for a spot on one of only a handful of major festival line ups now available each year.
But there are also artists who seem to rise above all of that, not the least because if you’ve been following them, they’re not a part of the names who flutter in and out of the ‘Picks of the Week’ and ‘Playlist Of The Month’ listings which now determine, for a large part, how much buzz they have. Some artists, believe it or not, are memorable because when you see them perform live, they absolutely floor you.
Which, being honest, isn’t always the case with touring artists nowadays…
Sydney based Ngaiire is one of a handful of artists who has completed their package. Off the back of most recent album ‘Blastoma’, something simultaneously clicked for both industry observers and music punters in general. If you heard her on the radio, the songs stood out. If you saw her live, she was on fire. She became equally at home bossing WOMADelaide as she was now a massive draw to BIGSOUND, able to command an audience alongside the likes of A$AP Rocky at Listen Out, At The Drive In at Splendour In The Grass, and now at the upcoming Oz Asia Festival. Such versatility in an artist doesn’t just occur overnight; it takes a certain special talent to cut through at each occasion.
So here is our grand, sweeping statement to satisfy the usual music industry commentary – Ngaiire is a phenomenon.
This is an artist who debuted in Adelaide at Jive only a few years ago to a handful of people; anyone clued in at that stage was in for a treat. She soon returned to WOMADelaide following her first album ‘Lamentations’, but her visits to Adelaide as a headliner have been sporadic so the chance to really soak in her full presence with a crystal clear sound system has been rare.
Australia simply won’t contain her as an artist much longer. Whether her Papua New Guinean heritage frames an aspect of how she is received internationally, especially in the US, is an interesting thought. It’s certainly been a part of how she’s been framed in Australia, but is not the main conversation being had about her music. When you’ve got Australian female voices really driving a lot of innovative music during the last twelve months (think Montaigne, Asta, T-Kay Maidza, Courtney Barnett, Meg Mac, Emma Louise, Alison Wonderland, George Maple… we could continue), the emergence of Ngaiire amongst such a strong list of contenders is a sign of her quality, especially as a proponent of soul music which really remains in it’s infancy in terms of appreciate from the current generation of Australian music listeners who have gravitated towards the resurgence of garage rock, electronic influences and a more independent voice for pop music.
When the AU Review prophetically recognised Ngaiire as one of the best Australian live performers of 2015, the shift had already begun. Adelaide would do well to take this opportunity on September 30 as a part of Oz Asia Fest because there’s more that just a feeling that her next movements will be overseas. Anyone for the industry would tell you, especially after seeing her live show, that the time is right.
Ngaiire performs for FREE as part of Oz Asia on September 30 in Elder Park.
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