There’s a pair of very talented songwriters heading our way, one outrageous and hilarious, one sweet and grounded. What they have in common is that they are unashamedly themselves, unwilling to bend to suit others. Lucky us.
ANIKA Moa has her face and name painted all over the Mazda she’s touring New Zealand in.
“It’s not embarrassing at all,” she says, deadpan. “Driving up and down the main drag in a lowered car with loud music on is a great way to sell out your shows.”
You’d think Moa wouldn’t have any trouble selling tickets to her shows.
“Yeah these tours are relatively easy, I sell out 90% of the shows,” she admits.
Is that a relief? “Well yeah, but it’s also like, f&*king ay! If you can sustain yourself for 12 years in this industry then of course people are going to come to your gigs.”
The tour that brings her to Wellington this week is one Moa does annually, and in true “go with the flow” Moa style will cover songs from four albums picked at random from a hat.
This year she’s performing her set solo.
“I feel more free onstage when I don’t have a band,” says Moa. “I do absolutely adore them but when I’m solo I can gossip for ages, I don’t have to shut up and just play the song.”
Moa isn’t touring solo though; performing as the opening act is her mate Mel Parsons. West Coast-born singer songwriter Parsons was introduced to Wellington a couple of years ago when she temporarily relocated here.
She met Moa about eight years ago: “She’s just a really refreshingly honest, very cool person. There are never any pretensions; she just says what she thinks,” says Parsons.
“She does these amazing shows where she has a whole huge theatre in tears or laughter. She’s not afraid to be exactly who she is, I think that’s another reason why she appeals across the board, she is what she is and that just happens to be awesome - she’s definitely got better jokes than me.”
Moa returns the sentiments: “I’ve heard Mel sing every night and I’m still not sick of it. It’s so easy touring with her; she’s really easy going and kind.”
The BFFs are both looking forward to playing in Wellington - for Parsons we are a favourite audience, and for Moa it presents the chance to celebrate her wife Azaria’s birthday with dinner at the Matterhorn.
I wonder if I should print that information, or if Moa will get swamped by fans.
“Na, people aren’t like that here. I invited everyone to Mel’s dad’s pub the other day and no one came down. They all missed out on the chance to watch me get pissed with her dad and play ring around the rosies,” she says.
Don’t miss your chance this time.
Anika Moa, with support from Mel Parsons, The Ruby Lounge, December 4.