Rising but grounded Kiwi star Theia easy to Spotify
Christchurch-raised singer and songwriter Em Haley-Walker is reaching for the stars and has found the sun and the moon as Theia, writes Mike Alexander.
Theia’s latest single Everything, from her debut self-titled EP, is a ‘‘sexy, moody break-up song that I wrote over a few studio sessions’’.
Closing in on nine million Spotify streams is a remarkable record for any artist, but the song in question, Roam – which went viral almost a year ago – was written and recorded by now Auckland-based singer Em-Haley Walker, who performs as Theia.
‘‘I am so super-stoked and feel very blessed, everything is so awesome,’’ she says. ‘‘I think the ongoing appeal of Roam is down to the music. When I wrote it, it was at a time when I was feeling very low. I was away from everything I was comfortable with and so I wrote about those feelings as a way of encouraging myself that everything was happening for a reason.
When Theia wrote Roam, she was commuting between Australia and New Zealand.
The first single by the former Christchurch pool lifeguard, Silver
Second, was produced by Alex Hope, who has worked with Troye Sivan and Broods, and it had given her a foothold in Australia where she has subsequently toured with The Kite String Tangle. It also caught the attention of influential US taste-makers Hillydilly and Pigeons and Planes, as well as – closer to home – Phil Howling, general manager of Warner Music New Zealand, who signed her to the label.
‘‘I had back-to-back trips away writing in studios. One week in Sydney, the next in Auckland. Living out of hotel rooms... feeling like a gypsy and lonely,’’ Theia says.
‘‘My emotions – like the tides – would be continually up and down. I realised I had to get to the place where I was so at peace and strong in myself that it didn’t matter where I was, or the circumstances, I was at home. Hence the lyric – ’everywhere I roam is home’.‘‘
Having recently returned from Los Angeles, where she was invited to perform an industry showcase at the MuseExpo, no sooner had she landed but was on the road again for her first headline concerts in New Zealand to promote the release of her selftitled, six-track debut EP. Theia though, like the goddess whose name inspired her stage pseudonym, is nothing if not grounded.
‘‘For me, it is really important I have people around me who are positive and hold me up – that connection with my family and friends,’’ she says.
‘‘In this industry it is so easy to get ahead of yourself. I make sure I maintain and trust in those relationships. When I am missing home, I write letters to the people I care about and receive back cute little presents from my friends that keep me connected. I really treasure the people who were there before and the people who are here now because I know that they are not going to go anywhere.
‘‘When I was signed to Warner Music, I decided to move to Auckland, which was amazing, but I was thrust into this new and unfamiliar world. In those situations you understand how important it is to maintain family and friendships. The move meant I had to make sure I was taking care of myself – eating, exercising and getting the rest I needed.
‘‘That’s why it is so important to me that I stay grounded and happy, because there is no point in doing anything if you are not happy. Obviously, I am working hard to push myself. The encouraging thing is that I can see the potential rewards, so I embrace what needs to be done.
‘‘A year ago, I was working three jobs. There were so many times when I felt down-hearted and wondered what I was doing. All of my friends had saved their money and were travelling overseas or had bought homes. I just kept pushing. If what you are doing is what you know you want to do, you should keep at it until you know in your heart that you have given it everything possible. It’s going to happen, or it isn’t.’’
That’s exactly what Em HaleyWalker did when she dived into the music world and made waves under her initial alias PLUM. Australian-based clothing label Factorie picked up her single Silver Second for their 2015 online marketing campaign, which celebrated young people who dare to be different.
‘‘I released two tracks as PLUM and they got a great response,’’ Theia says.
‘‘It was really exciting at the time. Then I took some time out. I wanted to refine and focus a little more on my image and what music really meant to me. I thought about the messages I wanted to convey because, obviously, I write from my own experiences. I need to figure out, as an artist, what my essence was and how best I could convey that. I knew at that time that I had to change my name to something that sonically and visually represented who and where I was.
‘‘That’s when I chose Theia. In Greek, she is the goddess of the sun and moon. It’s a strong and very feminine name. It’s also very quirky and edgy. When you listen to my music and look at the imagery, it really fits.
‘‘I’ve always felt inwardly it was essential to know who I am. That’s what Roam was about. We are all always growing and experiencing new things but to be able to get to that place where you are comfortable in your own skin and where you love yourself, that is kind of like a goddess place – certainly if you are a woman.’’