Mike Hall
Geneva AM’s Joyous Dance Music Is Infectious
Read an exclusive interview with Māori producer and vocalist Geneva AM, one of our Future of Music 2026 acts
This interview is part of our Future of Music 2026 series. Follow all the coverage here.
We saw this coming.
“Start getting your Taite Music Prize outfit ready, Alexander-Marsters,” we told Geneva Alexander-Marsters, the restless creative behind Geneva AM, last year while hailing Pikipiki as one of the best Aotearoa albums of 2025.
Not only did a nomination for the 2026 Taite Music Prize duly come her way, but Geneva AM also won the Best Independent Debut Award thanks to her stunning debut album.
More awards glory could be on the way, too, with Geneva AM nominated in three categories at the forthcoming 2026 Aotearoa Music Awards, including for Album of the Year.
All of this critical acclaim is more than deserved for a musician so joyously comfortable in her artistic convictions.
“For Pikipiki I wanted to be in a healing space and sometimes that means seeking community, manifesting joy, creating space for renewal – you don’t have to do that alone… I feel like I’ve been crafting some kind of positive force field that I’m about to throw over everyone,” she previously told Under the Radar.
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On Pikipiki, Alexander-Marsters bends classic genres — chiefly disco and dance — to her own will, reframing and rejuvenating them, utilising them to explore and honour her Māori heritage.
Read an exclusive interview with Geneva AM below.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ: What does it mean to you to be included in Rolling Stone’s Future of Music series?
Geneva AM: Being chosen to take part in this series is a real honour. There is a lot of darkness in the world at the moment, so I feel like being optimistic about the future is a great way to counter such atrocious, greedy behaviour from people who see profit in misery. I think privately making music on my computer almost every day has been a great comfort over the years.
How did you first get your start in music?
My first band was a strictly ’50s and ’60s covers band called the Rocking Roller Coasters. We were expected to recite all of the material from memory and play for hours on end. The bar was always high.
We played at the Whangamata Beach Hop every year and the guys would wear bowties. I had these huge poofy dresses — it was always a high-energy performance, people would go hard!
Describe your sound to a new listener in three words.
Geneva AM is Indigenous, fun, and at times a little unexpected.
Tell us about your latest release.
Pikipiki is my weapon of choice against all of the challenges life can throw in my way. It is a love letter to my urban upbringing and a genuine statement about who I am as a person.
What’s your favourite career memory so far?
Winning the Best Independent Debut at the Taites was pretty cool the other night!
What are the positives and negatives of being a musician in 2026?
In my experience as a newish artist, I find putting on shows independently pretty challenging. I usually aim to break even or at least pay everyone as much as I can. On the other half of the same coin, these types of shows have an excellent vibe, lineup, and give us more of an opportunity to connect with each other. I think it might pick up eventually, I’m just learning and it’s fun to put things like this together.
What’s one thing you’d change about the ANZ music industry?
The NZ government needs to prioritise funding local festivals, and additionally it would be nice if festival promoters booked acts based off of merit rather than the number of followers they have.
Are you hopeful for the future of music in ANZ?
Yeah, I think we have so many talented people here and worldwide who hold a lot of stories to share.
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Name one other ANZ act you’d like to see make our Future of Music series in the future.
Greatsouth or MĀ. I saw Current Bias at Newtown fest, they were amazing.
What’s coming up for you this year?
I’m playing with the APO this Matariki which is going to be a dream come true!! At the end of May I’ll be looking forward to attending the AMAs and I’m also writing more music for a follow-up album.
