Using the laptop she bought with her student loan, local singer-songwriter Paige learnt to make music on her own and made a name for herself by posting cover versions of pop hits to YouTube. Now, at 28 – having supported the likes of Six60 and Drax Project on tour – the Waves hit-maker tells Woman’s Day she’s entering a new chapter.
Paige, who is of Ngāti Maniapoto and Ngāti Tūwharetoa descent, confesses to being a “very in-my-feelings” kind of girl. It’s central to her music; however, it can often slow the creative process.
“I write good songs because I’m emotional, but then I can get too caught up in my head,” she says.
The story behind her music
Paige’s music is layered with stories of her mental health, like diary entries where she’s honest about her struggle with depression. But over time, she’s learnt she doesn’t have to put her whole heart and soul into every tune, otherwise she’ll burn out.
“I wish I kept more of it to myself,” admits Paige.
“Now I feel like I don’t really need to overshare. The hard thing about being an artist is selling yourself as a product. Separating the product and your soul is an interesting thing.”
Where it all began
Born Paige Tapara, she grew up in small-town Clarks Beach, an hour south of Auckland. Her teens were spent busking in the city and recording an EP on digital music studio GarageBand. She had no idea how to connect with record companies and no money, but then, in 2018, Billie Eilish shared Paige’s song Alignments. The talented Kiwi was 20 years old and was convinced her life was about to change. She dropped out of uni, got signed to Sony Music and was flown to New York for work.
“I thought I was going to be like Lady Gaga!” she laughs.
“It was jarring but also really amazing.”
Her goal had always been to branch outside of New Zealand. Not necessarily into South Korea, where her 2020 EP Always Growing is certified platinum, but she’d anticipated international success would follow.
Success in South Korea
“I have high expectations of myself,” Paige says.
“I always thought my music would take me overseas to some degree, but getting a platinum EP in Korea was a shock.”
A doting fanbase wrote Paige piles of cards in Korean and gave her gifts during her stay there. She still feels the buzz that “somebody who doesn’t speak my language and doesn’t really know what I’m singing about feels so connected to the music”.
Performing with the Jonas Brothers
It was surreal to experience that adoration, then return to her nine-to-five job at Krispy Kreme in Auckland. (She now has a part-time gig in music mentorship.) Things came full circle last year, when the self-confessed “Disney Channel girl” was invited on stage with the Jonas Brothers, singing a part usually belted out by Demi Lovato in This Is Me from the Camp Rock soundtrack. Coincidentally, it was also the first song she ever performed when she was a kid.
The iconic moment came as a result of Paige’s campaign to sing with the band at their one-off Kiwi show. It could be seen as a strategic move to progress her career, but she insists she did it for her younger self.
“It’s really important to follow your inner child when you’re in a creative job,” she explains.
“We’re doing what we wanted to do when we were kids – like, no kid is imagining what it’s like to sit in an office and work on Excel spreadsheets. In my music career, I try to channel my inner child because it keeps me motivated.”
A new era with Paigesspace
Paige’s forthcoming EP Paigesspace is a vulnerable collection of music, sprinkled with satire and optimism, which speaks of coming of age. She still considers herself young, having used her teens to understand her identity.
“I spent my high school years trying to figure out if I was normal or not,” she says, noting that she thought she was a lesbian until she fell in love with a guy.
They’ve since been together for six years and Paige is now content accepting she doesn’t know everything.
“Right now, this is who I am. Tomorrow, I’ll carry different feelings than I had today and it’s gonna change who I am. I’m not too caught up on identity any more and my music really reflects that.”
Paige’s latest work is “an honest reflection of life and not filtering it too much”, like social media does.
The story behind ‘Tradegy’
Her new single Tragedy is about a one-sided relationship. Reflecting on the state of the world, she says, “Right now, everything feels chaotic and no one’s got money. How do we get by when a block of butter is $15? We need to stop putting too much pressure on ourselves. We’re all figuring it out as we go.”
If she could speak to her younger self, Paige would tell her to simply enjoy it. While once music was a space for her to vent and pour out her feelings, now she’s in it for the joy.
“I’m more passionate about the art than I am in trying to sell a story about my sad moments.”
Paige’s new single Tragedy is out Friday.
