Music News - Lee Stuart promises to be one of the key voices in the Aotearoa landscape for the future
18 October 2024 - 0 Comments
2024 has been quite a year for Lee Stuart. Having completed her debut EP, Chapter 1, she has embarked on a busy schedule of performance, collaborations and single releases all the while juggling a full-time job, oh, and breaking her Achilles tendon. Despite being a particularly painful injury, she still managed to appear live, moonboot and all, performing from a static position on stage, but singing undaunted by the obvious difficulties. To those that know Lee, none of this comes as a surprise. She has a dogged determination to express herself not only as a contemporary artist, but also to incorporate her Māori heritage and has written and recorded songs in Te Reo as additional repertoire for release.
Lee Stuart (Ngāti Pū, Ngāti Rangitihi) grew up a little differently from others, raised at sea and off-grid on the whenua (land). At age six, her Dad taught her how to hunt on the mainland and debone fish, whilst her Mum invested time teaching her the classic Māori guitar strum. Lee has been making music ever since.
When she wasn’t fishing or making music, she was watching TV, excitedly peering into the lives of city-dwellers. She was 18 when she got the opportunity to urbanise. Hungry for a digitalised new world, Lee threw herself into tech, gaming, music production and networking. She fell in love with the clubs, the corporate grind, the noise, the crowds — the machine.
Lee adapted to a corporate lifestyle which suppressed her ability to dream, create and write. She stopped making music for nearly an entire year. After 10 years in the corporate grind, the tūī birds called and the ocean beckoned, Lee felt the pull of te taiao (nature) and re-found her flow.
Recently, Lee has been reclaiming her indigenous language, and vlogs this journey daily on TikTok, capturing the joys and challenges of learning te reo Māori at home. She also uses this space to engage in political activism, using her music to connect with others, stand in solidarity, and contribute to a variety of decolonisation kaupapa (initiatives).
In 2022 Lee left Aotearoa to live abroad for the first time, basing herself in the UK. She credits this time as having a huge influence on her sound. The exposure to such a variety of music inspired many of the tracks on her forthcoming EP.
In 2018 Lee signed a publishing deal with Universal Music. She will be releasing her first EP in 2024, supported by Devin Abrams. The EP is an eclectic record, heavily inspired by Soul, RnB and Garage. Lee draws on inspiration from Prince, Caroline Polacheck and Sade to create her own ethereal tones. Her new record is a journey through grief, disillusionment and resistance. This exciting, fresh work is a look into our collective pain, loss, grief and re-birth, acknowledging life's obstacles and honouring them as the moments that shape us. This EP is a reflection on youth, an escape from the corporate world and the journey back to the waters of her true self.
“Aotearoa’s most compelling new songwriter, Lee Stuart, makes a strong impression on her debut single Clover. Opening with slow, soulful melodies that suddenly rush into a shuddering chorus, Stuart’s gorgeous voice sells every emotional line. The song’s production is complex and layered, as she reflects on growing and grieving through our ever-complicated world. If Lee Stuart’s online presence as a political advocate and Te Reo educator wasn’t enough, Clover is an incredibly engaging introduction to this artist who’s sure to be on your radar, as she rolls out her first EP throughout 2024.” - Danica Bryant @ Tearaway
Most Viewed Artists
Latest Galleries
NZ Top 10 Singles
- DIE WITH A SMILE
Lady Gaga And Bruno Mars - BIRDS OF A FEATHER
Billie Eilish - TASTE
Sabrina Carpenter - A BAR SONG (TIPSY)
Shaboozey - ESPRESSO
Sabrina Carpenter - LOSE CONTROL
Teddy Swims - I LOVE YOU, I'M SORRY
Gracie Abrams - GOOD LUCK, BABE!
Chappell Roan - SAILOR SONG
Gigi Perez - TOO SWEET
Hozier
More Content on muzic.net.nz
Google Site Search
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report A Problem
There are currently no comments for this article. Please log in to add new comments.