Greta O’Leary celebrated her debut album with a stunning Rolling Stone AU/NZ In My Room session.
A regular inclusion in our Best New Zealand Music of the Week roundups, O’Leary is a self-styled “spook-folk” singer-songwriter based in Tāmaki Makaurau.
She released her debut album, River Dark, earlier this month, a tender, poetic record that O’Leary says “took a long time to get here.”
“I was a child shy and unclear, completely confused, absolutely not onboard with future, with goals or activity,” she courageously admits. “I was in the field below the house, I was at the pond with the dog, I played make believe longer than most. I was taught to be quiet.”
River Dark was written during what O’Leary admits was “a very inward year, where I turned away from everything expect music.” The album was curated with support from her APRA mentor Tom Healy, before the aforementioned Mulholland helped her bring it to life at The Lab Studios.
River Dark includes standout tracks including “Baptised at the Desktop Computer”, which took off in a big way in Aotearoa, topping the Student Radio Network Top 10.
There’s also “IDKALA”, a haunting collaboration with fellow indie singer-songwriter Arahi, which features beautifully poignant lyrics: “I don’t know about love anymore / What’s wrong with the quiet / I don’t mind it.”
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Accompanied by Jol Mulholland – who produced River Dark – O’Leary performed the three opening tracks from her debut for her In My Room session.
Watch her sing “Prelude”, “Baby I’m a Singer”, and “The Greatest Peace I’ve Known” in a stripped-back setting above.
O’Leary has been steadily rising towards her debut album for a while. A prominent figure in Aotearoa’s alt-folk community, she received an APRA Artist Mentoring Programme Award, which led to collaborations with producer Tom Healy.
She’s brought her soft and moving folk songs to Newtown Festival, Wellington Gardens Magic Festival, Earthbeat, and more, and previously embarked on a successful New Zealand tour alongside fellow Aucklander folk artist Fables.
Greta O’Leary’s River Dark is out now.
