Pictures: Emily Chalk
If there’s one thing Boh Runga could do with lots of right now, it’s energy. As a musician, jewellery designer and businesswoman, it’s normal for Boh’s life to be a busy juggle. But since reaching midlife, she’s found keeping all those balls in the air far more tiring than it ever was before.
“I used to work nights doing gigs and shows, and I always took my ability to recover for granted,” she recalls. “But as you get older, recovery gets harder and in the last 10 years or so, I’ve definitely had to pay more attention to looking after myself.
For Boh, perimenopause has brought symptoms like mood swings, hot flushes, muscle aches and sleeplessness, as well as that general sense of needing more oomph.
“My mother’s so funny – she calls it ‘losing your easy juice’,” laughs Boh, 54. “Because basically things aren’t as easy any more. My moods have changed. My reactions to things are quite different sometimes. It can be an emotional time of life and I find that you need to have a real think about yourself.”
Fortunately for Boh, a new role came along at exactly the right moment. She’s become the creative director and ambassador for New Zealand nutritional supplement brand AiOra. Testing out some of their products, she’s already found them making a positive difference.
“I treat supplements as an extra support,” she explains. “They’re not a substitute for a healthy diet. I think they’re really important during times like this though, when your body is going through different things. I’ve found the Beef Liver has really helped give my energy a boost. If I don’t take it for a day, then I’ll notice. I’m anaemic as well, so it’s great for that. I’ve got a gig coming up soon, so I’ve been taking the respiratory formula in the run-up. In winter, I’m very aware of how vulnerable I am as a singer.”
It’s 25 years since her band Stellar released their debut album. While Boh is a part-time musician these days, she still enjoys getting up onstage to perform. She’s particularly excited about her next live gig. On 3 August, Boh will be joining a host of other well-known names on stage at Spark Arena for Synthony Pride. Accompanied by a 60-piece orchestra, they will perform anthems and dance classics.
“I have planed quite a few other shows as well,” she says. “Performing is fun – I love it.”
Part of the enjoyment is getting dressed up in gorgeous clothes. For Synthony Pride, she will be wearing an outrageous pink tulle costume. It’s a very different look to the usual combination of gumboots and a warm, woolly sweater that Boh is living in at home right now. Almost two years ago, she and her partner, rock musician Troy McKubre, moved to a small lifestyle block near Kumeu in West Auckland, and she’s been embracing rural life.
“We really love it here,” she tells. “We have a large garage that we’re converting into a recording studio. At the moment, Troy’s busy putting up Gib board and I’m his assistant! Eventually, we hope that other people will come along and record music, and maybe we’ll do song sessions and gigs on the deck.”
She’s even working on her dream gig, a mini-music festival for friends on the property. She’ll call it “Bohchella” as a play on the famous US music festival Coachella. Most days, though, it’s a peaceful place with lots of trees and birdsong. There are also occasional barks from the couple’s dogs, Leroy Brown and Toby Malone. The house is a big, rambling villa filled with beautiful guitars and Boh’s impressive collection of pot plants.
“I’ve really liked plants since I was a kid and used to save up my pocket money to buy tiny cacti,” says Boh. “Now I’ve got a lot – sometimes it can get out of control! I’ll get busy and forget to water them, then get upset if a leaf starts to die. But it’s just nice to surround yourself with greenery.”
Nature has inspired Boh’s jewellery designs ever since she created her first collection, Birdland, in 2007. Those iconic pieces, like the fantail earrings and the feather kisses, are still on sale today in the online store and her “bohtique” on Auckland’s Ponsonby Road.
“It can be difficult making a living as a creative,” admits Boh. “I just feel so lucky that I get to create this jewellery. I’m sent the most beautiful stories from people and I love to read how they got a piece, how they relate to it and how they gifted it to someone. It makes it more meaningful. Also, I love accessories!”
Lately, she’s been working with pounamu for the first time. She says her sister, singer Bic Runga, is especially enthusiastic about the range. She keeps sending her ideas about different carvers she should talk to as she works on her design ideas for New Zealand greenstone.
“I want to learn and explore that more. That part to me is really exciting,” says Boh, whose late father, Joseph, was of Ngāti Kahungunu descent.
There’s a reunion with Stellar on the cards for next year, and Boh is also writing songs that she hopes to record once she and Troy have finished building their home studio. With so much going on, she needs to make sure her energy doesn’t flag as she continues to navigate the menopause transition.
One of Boh’s first suggestions as creative director of AiOra was that the brand should formulate a supplement especially tailored to help women ease their symptoms.
“Those hot flushes,” she says, shaking her head. “It’s like you’ve got this tiny sun inside you that’s expanding. Also, no one told me that my hips were going to ache. I know some of my friends are having a far worse time of it than me. I keep reminding myself that menopause is a normal part of life.
“Rather than taking HRT, I’m trying to manage my way through it by eating well, taking my supplements and not stressing too much. I’m successful – most of the time!”
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