Photography: Matt Klitscher.
Despite working in an industry that celebrates youth, chart-topping singer-songwriter Georgia Lines is looking forward to leaving her twenties behind. At 29, the Wonderful Life hitmaker is closing out a decade she describes as “really hard”.
She explains, “It hasn’t been an easy ride. There’s been so much that’s happened to me. I won’t go into any of the details, but I’m looking forward to what the next phase of my life is and what that holds.”
That decade and what came with it shaped her debut album The Rose of Jericho, released last year. Critics widely acclaimed it for its raw emotional honesty, but Georgia reveals the album came at a personal cost.
“It was an overwhelming outpouring of emotions,” she says.
“It wasn’t an easy album to make.”
Writing through grief
In an interview about the recording last year, she explained, “I haven’t ever talked about what the album’s about. There’s a part of me I want to preserve for myself. I’m not going to give specifics, but I can give insight. It was me writing my way through and articulating a lot of grief and a lot of pain. You can fill in a lot of gaps and find your own meaning within it. You can piece it together.”
With the success of The Rose of Jericho, Georgia also had to learn to manage the physical impact of her blossoming career. She shares that touring and an inconsistent routine have previously affected her health.
Listening to her body
“Your body is a really good teller of what is happening – it keeps the score,” she says.
“I have had issues in the past with my thyroid and trying to manage stress. A lack of routine when you’re travelling and touring can take its toll. “I’ve really had to learn the hard way that when my body goes, ‘Hang on, I’m not coping,’ I need to make some changes!”
She realises she needs to pursue her musical dream in a “more sustainable, less chaotic way”.
Learning to slow down
These days, she’s more deliberate about when she needs to rest and reset.
“I think it’s just being connected to your body and your mind, and checking, ‘What do I need?’” she tells.
“Am I communicating to my friends and my family, or am I not saying something because I don’t want to disappoint someone? That’s a big thing that I’ve had to learn, for sure.”
Playing the long game
That self-awareness has also influenced her long-term goals. Rather than chasing a specific level of fame, she’s focused on longevity.
“I don’t have a thing where I’m like, ‘I want to be Dua Lipa’ – there’s only one of her,” she says with a smile.
“I don’t know what my career is going to look like, but if I’m still doing this in my fifties and sixties, I’ll be so stoked!”
A new chapter in Nashville
Georgia relocated to Nashville at the end of last year to immerse herself in a new music scene, a move she says is already opening doors.
“Everyone is really willing to connect you,” she enthuses.
“I’ve met a bunch of people who have introduced me to this writer or producer. The possibilities are endless. You really don’t know where you’re going to end up.”
Alongside the move, Georgia has also stepped into a very different kind of spotlight, joining Celebrity Treasure Island. Although she first found fame as a teenager – winning the 2014 Smokefree Rockquest with her original song Wannabe – signing up for a show she confesses she’s barely watched is definitely out of her comfort zone. In the end, her reasons for tackling reality TV were surprisingly simple.
“I really loved school camp! Big fan. I love being in a camping scenario.”
A once-in-a-lifetime challenge
It was also an opportunity she couldn’t say no to.
“This feels like a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she says.
“When am I ever going to get to put myself in this sort of scenario again?”
Georgia is aware contestants often need to be cut-throat to come out on top in the beloved reality show, but admits, “I’d find it hard. I probably lean more into people-pleasing than ruthlessness.”
However, Georgia is very clear about her boundaries.
Staying true to herself
“I will never make a decision if it doesn’t align with my values, but I will tiptoe around and try not to have the hard conversation for as long as I can!”
Georgia is also motivated by the opportunity to give back and her chosen charity is Tauranga Women’s Refuge.
“They’re an amazing collective charity that provides support and a safe space for women and their children coming out of domestic violence,” she says.
“I just love that it’s in my hometown. It’s just a beautiful organisation to support and hopefully help keep their doors open.”
Celebrity Treasure Island screens Monday-Wednesday at 7.30pm on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ +.
