One of the most highly anticipated debut albums in Aotearoa music is finally here. Theia today dropped Girl, in a Savage World, following years of hard work towards her first record.
The NZ-born, LA-based alt-pop artist’s album features singles such as “Patupaiarehe”, which takes its name from the mythological forest-dwelling folk of Aotearoa and taps into the country’s colonial history.
There’s also last year’s “BALDH3AD!”, described by Theia as her musical assault on the plague of colonisation, “which has impacted our people since the 1800s and continues to threaten our language and culture under the current government… It’s an expression of seething anger but also a call to action for my fellow wāhine Māori, rangatahi Māori and Indigenous folks worldwide.”
Theia sat down with Rolling Stone AU/NZ for an exclusive, in-depth interview about Girl, in a Savage World and much more, and she expressed relief and pride at finally reaching her debut album.
“[I]’m very proud of it,” she told us. “I feel like I’ve taken a long ass time but you can only do your debut album once and I’ve got it [to] where I’m like, ‘Wow, I’m proud of it.'”
Theia also opened up about missing her home country while living in Los Angeles.
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“[M]y gosh, it’s so hard… every day I’m checking out the latest updates on my marae. I’ve got four marae and each of them except for one has its own Facebook page. It’s so I’m following all of the comings and goings and all of the meetings. It’s really hard being away.”
You can read our full interview with Theia next week.
Theia isn’t missing Aotearoa so much right now: she’s back on home soil, set to perform live at Flying Out in Auckland tomorrow (November 8th).
Theia’s Girl, in a Savage World is out now.
