Theia Is Making Music on Her Own Terms

This interview is part of our Future of Music 2026 series. Follow all the coverage here.

Things can change quickly in music — and often for the better.

As a straightforward alt-pop artist on a major label, Theia felt completely lost in her career, her true artistry diminished.

After going independent around the turn of the 2020s, surrounding herself with a “beautiful female team,” as she told us last year, Theia finally delivered the debut album of her dreams.

Girl, in a Savage World is big, bold, and one of the most overtly political albums in recent Aotearoa music. “I’m so proud that I trusted my gut and my vision, because I know it was a wacky freaking vibe!” she told us.

She still knows how to craft a delicious alt-pop gem, but Theia’s debut album is more powered by fierce punk spirit, indie musicianship, and folksy ballads.

Girl, in a Savage World arrived during a time when New Zealand’s current conservative government is increasingly attempting to push back on Māori rights. Now based in Los Angeles, where she’s found a supportive community of fellow Indigenous people, she had to watch from afar as events like last year’s Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti happened in her homeland.

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“I just threw everything away and started afresh when that new government came into power, and [I] was just filled with fury and passion,” she said.

That’s why the lyrics on her debut album are so in-your-face and incendiary.

Read an exclusive interview with Theia below.

Rolling Stone AU/NZ: What does it mean to you to be included in Rolling Stone’s Future of Music series?

Theia: Rolling Stone is an iconic name in music. To be acknowledged as part of this series is an honour. Thank you!

How did you first get your start in music? 

I started getting myself into the studio in Ōtautahi, uploading tracks to SoundCloud and then sending them to radio. A few of the songs started to get a bit of traction and things started from there. I started coming up to Tāmaki Makaurau for studio sessions and flew to Sydney to work with Alex Hope, who produced one of my first singles, “Silver Second”. A lot has happened since then!

Describe your sound to a new listener in three words.

Wahine Māori Survivance!

Tell us about your latest release. 

My debut album Girl, in a Savage World came out at the end of 2025. I describe it as a fusion of ethereal folk, Indigenous soul, and art-rock. The album is rooted in giving permanence to mātauranga (knowledge) about the historical impacts of colonisation and the subsequent cultural revitalisation through music and storytelling.

I’ve not long finished an album release tour in Aotearoa – it was so wonderful to experience peoples’ reactions to these songs. The highlight of the tour was performing the album at my marae in Port Waikato. It is probably one of my most special memories since I started making music and affirmed all the reasons why I made ‘this’ record.

Are you hopeful for the future of music in ANZ?

From what I can see, it’s healthy in terms of the number of new artists and bands around, and I know that Aotearoa has great initiatives for rangatahi, so we’re likely to have a continual flow of new acts, which is great. It’s also incredible to see so many new Māori artists and so many releasing music in reo Māori. I also love how diverse the music being made in New Zealand is.

What are the positives and negatives of being a musician in 2026?

Positives are as mentioned above – more Māori music and a wider acceptance of waiata Māori. I love that artists like Te Wehi and Hori Shaw are smashing it.

A negative is all the extra artists now need to do – like social media. It’s like a full-time job and it’s hard to find the motivation to post when you’re in between projects or just not feeling like getting up in everyone’s grill. I know it’s just a part of being a musician in 2026 but [it’s] definitely one of the more challenging aspects of the job.

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Name one other ANZ act you’d like to see make our Future of Music series in the future. 

BARKAA. Huge sound, absolute fierce baddie.

What’s coming up for you this year?

I just returned from NY giving interventions at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and am about to board a flight back to LA. From there I’ll head up to Canada for a run of shows over June and July. I’m very excited to be playing a couple of festivals in places such as Inuvik, which is one of the most northern towns on the planet, and Ness Creek in Saskatchewan’s boreal forest.

I am always so grateful for all these wonderful experiences that music has brought me. Outside of music, I’m undertaking my Masters in Indigenous Studies so I’ll be handing in assignments and doing exams while I’m on the road.