Sony Music Australia is proud to announce the return of one of New Zealand’s most iconic musicians Bic Runga with a brand new album ‘Belle’ out March 16 in Australia.
The five years since her last album of new material have passed quickly, at least for Bic. You could say life intervened – specifically the birth in 2007 of her son. “Motherhood is very nice. But there comes a point where it would be really easy to lose your identity, and if you didn’t return to your art you’d just become a pain to everyone around you.”
The constraints of parenthood necessitated a new approach to her work, so she tried something she had never seriously contemplated before – and it led to an artistic rebirth. Bic embarked on a series of collaborations, including a co-write with Dan Hume of Evermore which resulted in the uplifting first single ‘Hello Hello.’ Hello Hello was the #1 most added song to radio in the week of release in New Zealand. It will debut on Australian radio February 27 and available to purchase digitally March 2.
Since her first single ‘Drive’ in 1996, a massive hit when she was just twenty. Bic has been awarded almost every musical honour in New Zealand, including the APRA Silver Scroll Songwriting Award, a collection of Tui’s and multi-platinum discs. Her debut album ‘Drive’ (1997) went platinum seven times in New Zealand and went gold in Australia; ‘Beautiful Collision’ followed in 2002 (eleven times platinum) and ‘Birds’ in 2005 (triple platinum). She has shared stages with Neil and Tim Finn, Dave Dobbyn, members of Radiohead and Wilco. Her songs have featured in hit film soundtracks (American Pie), her records have been released around the world, and she has won followings in Europe, Asia and North America. In January 2006, HM Queen Elizabeth II made Runga a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Zealand New Year’s Honours List.
SINGLE: HELLO HELLO – AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE MARCH 2
ALBUM: BELLE AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE MARCH 16
