Interview by Jessica Paton
Nur Peach is a singer-songwriter and recording/performing artist from Waiomu, a small seaside settlement on the Thames Coast. She released her debut album, Syncopate, in June this year.
Q: Who Are You? Could you introduce yourself and give us a quick rundown of your music style?
A: I’m Nur Peach, and I’m a singer-songwriter and recording/performing artist from Waiomu, a small seaside settlement on the Thames Coast. I released my debut album, Syncopate, in June this year.
I usually describe my style as “Inspirational Pop” because of the focus on catchy melodies and lyrics which explore important subject matter from a positive, uplifting angle. Some of the themes that I often write about are self-love and acceptance and creating positive change in the world. Musically, I like to try a whole lot of different styles. My roots are in the indie folk genre, but I listen to a wide range of music and love experimenting with other styles. For instance, on Syncopate I experiment with electropop quite a bit. It was scary and very exciting to incorporate electronic elements into my sound, and I can foresee myself continuing to include them alongside physical instruments.
Q: What inspires you to make music?
A: I get asked this quite often, and it’s a huge question that’s hard to answer in a straightforward way. A lot of things inspire me, and each song is different. Sometimes, I will start with a melody or chord progression, and sometimes, it will be a word or phrase that catches my interest. My song “Offbeat,” for instance, was inspired by my teacher at uni using the titular word in a sentence (I did a Bachelor of Music at Auckland uni). The chorus hook of that song immediately popped into my head when he said it, and I wrote the rest of the song really quickly afterwards!
Lyrically, my own life experience is my biggest inspiration. My songs are usually about things I’m going through and personal challenges I’m facing. For instance, much of Syncopate was about my experience of moving to Auckland for uni and my struggles with fitting in. One of the album’s central themes is that it’s okay to be different, and that’s because being different is my experience, and I was writing what I needed to hear. Sometimes, I write about world events I notice, philosophical issues I’ve been pondering, or books that I read. If I write a song about something, it usually means that it profoundly affected me. Songwriting is my way of dealing with and processing things, and it helps me to heal from and overcome them.
Q: What does being a musician here in Te Tara-o-te-Ika-a-Māui (on the Peninsula) mean to you?
A: I was actually born in Mercury Bay and have lived on the Peninsula all my life apart from the three years I spent in Auckland for uni. Growing up here has definitely hugely impacted my music and my outlook on life. My family and I have always lived in rural areas, so I’ve grown up surrounded by nature. That’s why nature is and always has been a big inspiration; I love using nature imagery and metaphors in my lyrics. Most of my songs include at least one reference to trees, flowers, the sea, or some other aspect of the natural world!
It also means that I feel the most at home when around nature. My song “This Is Home” is about returning to Waiomu after being in the city, where I felt like I was losing touch with my true self. I use a lot of nature imagery in the song, singing about the flowers in the huge gardens around the house and the beach that’s just a short walk down the road. I felt the homecoming was metaphorical and literal, and I was returning to my true self.
“Gift From Above”, featuring my father, Dylan Wade (a prominent and longstanding figure in the Coromandel music scene), is another song of mine that uses a lot of nature imagery. The song was written on Kuaotunu Beach, and all the nature imagery in it literally describes things I could see while I was writing it. “Gift From Above” has been picked up by CFM. I would guess that its quintessential Coromandel-ness is a big part of what made the song appeal to them!
Q: Where can we find your music, and how can people show their support?
A: You can find the links to all my socials and streaming platforms via Linktree (use the green button below).
The best way to support me is to purchase my album Syncopate via Bandcamp (orange button below)
I have beautiful CDs and digital downloads available at this link. When you purchase, you can also choose to join my mailing list to stay in the loop about my future gigs and releases!
