Photography: STIJL
When Amelia Murray moved to Christchurch four years ago, she was searching for a reset. The 33-year-old musician had already achieved international success with her dream pop project Fazerdaze, but behind the scenes, she was feeling burnt out, isolated and stuck.
“I was overworking and didn’t know how to take care of myself around intense touring schedules,” she tells.
“The learning curve was much steeper and harder to navigate than I’d anticipated. Plus, there were people whispering in my ear that my success was only because I was young and pretty. I started to overlook my own dedication, hard work and talent, putting it down to a lucky fluke.”
First finding acclaim in 2014, the multi-talented instrumentalist gained global attention for her cult 2017 album Morningside and its viral hit Lucky Girl. But what followed were a challenging five years when she didn’t release any music at all.
“It was fun being involved in the Auckland scene and I grew a lot during that time, but it became unhealthy when there was little separation between my work and personal life,” Amelia reveals.
“I did a lot of good work on my latest album Soft Power during those difficult years in Auckland, but weirdly, I couldn’t finish it for the life of me.”
It was after going through “a pretty monumental break-up” in 2021 that Amelia realised she needed a fresh start.
“I decided to move to Christchurch, despite only knowing one other person here at the time. I loved having the space to be anonymous and build a life on my own terms.”
Finding her place
While she admits it was lonely in the beginning as she was “reclusive and guarded”, eventually she built a great network of friends, which proved just the tonic she needed to reboot her creativity. Amelia now refers to the Garden City as her sanctuary – the place that kickstarted the next exciting chapter of her music career. Soft Power, which she finished after her move south, has won international acclaim, with Rolling Stone naming it the top New Zealand Album of 2024. She also scooped Album of the Year and Solo Artist of the Year at last year’s Aotearoa Music Awards.
For the self-confessed “sensitive introvert”, embracing fame a second time round means handling her career on her own terms. She writes and records most of her music in her home studio, and loved performing her “bedroom stadium” songs at the Electric Avenue festival earlier this year.
Living the dream
“I live close to Hagley Park, so it felt surreal to wake up in my own bed, then a few hours later, head down to the park to perform in front a tonne of people,” she smiles.
“It felt like my two worlds colliding in one day – my career dreams plus my quiet domestic life!”
Another highlight was touring with legendary US alt-rock band the Pixies.
Amelia enthuses, “I grew up loving the Pixies, so to see Frank Black and Joe Santiago watching us play side of stage, as well as having the band come into our dressing room after a show and their drummer Dave Lovering showing us magic tricks, was pretty surreal.”
Wellbeing comes first
Struggling with chronic pain, stress and burnout over the years has meant touring can be “incredibly gruelling” on Amelia, but she’s learnt to nourish with self-care. She takes her own pillow and scented candle on the road, “so hotel rooms don’t smell weird”, and has workout gear in the van whenever there’s a break.
Her bandmate and best friend Dave Rowlands is a key part of her support network, especially when travelling.
“Dave is like a brother to me,” she shares.
“We care about each other so much, look after each other and make sure our wellbeing comes first, before the music or anything else. I’m so grateful for the level of support we give each other.”
Looking ahead
Amelia is finishing her next record in Los Angeles while figuring out the next chapter for herself and Fazerdaze.
She explains, “For a long time, it felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel, so to be in this place now is quite moving and exciting. I’m really proud of having the courage to keep stepping forward, and to believe in myself and my dreams, even when the path isn’t clear or easy.”
