Let’s take a moment to get familiar with Samoan-Kiwi songbird MOZIE, aka Moana Leota.
The Wairarapa-born singer-songwriter has toured internationally as a backing vocalist for Oscar-winner Bret McKenzie and recently opened for Louis Baker at San Fran in Wellington.
MOZIE has released two singles to date: her 2022 debut “Not Done Loving”, a sizzling R&B track with emotive vocals, and the joyous “Sonshine”, shared earlier this year.
“Not Done Loving” was an early highlight for MOZIE, showcasing her powerful vocals and thoughtful production. The stunning music video was filmed at Waiorongomai Station.
“Sonshine,” co-written with pianist Leonardo Coghini, was inspired by her early pregnancy and is a tribute to her son. The uplifting video features her partner Brett Taefu and 7-year-old actor Roman Hamlin at Wellington’s Breaker Bay.
On the video release, MOZIE shared, “I’m so happy with it! The concept was all about the joy children bring to us.
Recently, she also sang the national anthem at Sky Stadium during the National Provincial Championship finals, bringing together the Wellington Lions and Bay of Plenty Steamers rugby match.
We caught up with MOZIE as part of our Up-And-Coming Aotearoa Artists series. Read the full interview below.
MOZIE’s “Sonshine” is out now.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ: How did music influence you in your early life?
MOZIE: Music has always been the most significant influence in my life. Wherever I go, music is with me. My mum is a singer and a visual artist, so I have always been highly influenced by her love of music and the arts. My parent’s exquisite and well-varied taste in music also influenced me. Making up dance shows to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and having karaoke parties in the living room was what my childhood consisted of. The palpable love of music that I was privy to growing up encouraged me to be brave enough to create my journey in the art world, and continues to feed me today as an artist.
What artists influenced you growing up?
My mum, Warren Maxwell, Lauryn Hill, Justin Bieber, Cyndie Lauper, Adele, Dido, The Black Eyed Peas, Eva Cassidy, Aretha Franklin, Coldplay… Honestly, if I continue to answer this question, it may take up a few pages… hehe!
What are some other career highlights so far?
I have been lucky enough to have previously been a backing vocalist for Louis Baker, and currently a backing vocalist for Bret Mckenzie (one half of Flight of the Conchords). The opportunities I have had through both these amazing artists and the exposure to top tier musicianship is something that I have daily gratitude for.
My top highlight with Louis was joining him on his Aotearoa tour, for the release of his EP Love Levitates. My highlight with Bret was joining him on his US tour, for his album Songs Without Jokes – this was one of the craziest, funniest and most fulfilling experiences ever. I particularly enjoyed walking through Times Square in our pyjamas to a CBS performance because we were headed there straight from the tour bus – very Kiwi of us.
Another career highlight would be the recording of my first-ever single “Not Done Loving” and the filming of the music video. It was a family affair and to this day, it was one of the most wholesome days of my life.
What personality traits and values do you believe it takes to succeed in the music industry?
I think it really truly depends on what one might deem as successful. For me and what I believe it takes is honesty, authenticity, kindness, drive; and a willingness to learn and to fail.
How would you describe your music to a potential fan?
I would say that my music is a mix of soul and R&B – neo-soul is what some may call it. But on a deeper level I would describe my music as a reflection of where I am in life, how I am feeling, my environment, my relationships, so where a song may land essentially depends on where I’m at in life. My hope is always that I am creating art that makes people feel seen and less alone. We can all have a friend in music and I hope people can find a friend in mine.
What are your goals for 2024 and beyond?
At this point, my goal is to just get through! 2024 hasn’t been the easiest year for me so I am just riding the waves, allowing myself grace with time and space to heal and finding great comfort in the fact that we are all just doing our best with what we have and where we are at. For my goals beyond, I hope to get an EP out and to create some more music videos and collaborate with other artists around the motu.
Tell us about your latest single, “Sonshine”. What’s the song about?
It’s about knowing that when you lose something or someone, the sun will rise again. You can try again, you can love again. I wrote this song with my very talented friend, multi-instrumentalist and producer Leonardo Coghini, which was really special. Whilst in the process of writing “Sonshine”, its meaning took a slight detour – I was in the early stages of pregnancy. Each time Leo and I would come together to collaborate on it, I would be slightly further along and, as I was singing/writing the lyrics, I found that the “sun rising again” for me was my soon-to-be son – my “Sonshine”!
Did you enjoy making your directorial debut for the accompanying music video?
I absolutely loved it! I loved dreaming up the idea and then seeing it come to life. I also loved collaborating with my partner Brett Taefu, who also spent many conversations with me dissecting ideas, our friend Havea Latu who was the videographer, and my little brother’s friend Roman. I also had my younger sister Mollie and my friend Rachel (Roman’s mum) help out and vibe with us on shoot day too. We had so much fun together creating a video to celebrate the things in life that bring us joy.
