Artist Profile
Theia X TE KAAHU
Theia makes unapologetic, trailblazing alt-pop. The enigmatic artist, who hails from New Zealand but is now based in LA, has been making waves since she first emerged in 2016 with her breakthrough hit ‘Roam’. The song received commercial radio play in New Zealand, Australia and Asia, while amassing millions of streams across all platforms.
Theia has gone on to grow a dedicated fanbase locally and internationally, while earning critical acclaim from the likes of Pigeons & Planes, Rolling Stone, Clash and Billboard Magazine, which on the release of her 2020 99% ANGEL mixtape described her as “one of the most exciting voices in pop to emerge from New Zealand in the last five years”.
Although signed to a major record deal in her early career, Theia has remained fiercely independent since parting ways with the label and has continued to forge her own path in music. With a sound that can’t easily be categorised, it is Theia’s exquisite and unique vocal, paired with her keen sense of melody and challenging and confrontational lyricism that stands her out from the crowd.
She is a three-time nominee at the NZ Music Awards and has been a finalist in the George FM Awards and the Waiata Māori Music Awards.
Theia is also no stranger to the stage, having toured her home country multiple times and played at many of the country’s largest festivals, including Homegrown, Bay Dreams, Splore, CubaDupa and Rhythm & Vines. She has also opened for international acts such as Sia, Charli XCX, Mika and Peaches and in 2021, she joined an ensemble of musical friends including Jol Mulholland, Delaney Davidson and Shayne Carter for the show ‘Spell On You’ at the Auckland Arts Festival.
Internationally, Theia has toured Australia with the Kite String Tangle and in 2020 she performed at Sydney Mardi Gras. In 2023, she made her LA debut performing at the official after party for LA Pride.
A staunch proponent for the revitalisation of te reo Māori and culture, she has released several waiata Māori under the Theia moniker. However, in 2020 she launched the project TE KAAHU, which is written and performed entirely in te reo Māori.
TE KAAHU’s debut album TE KAAHU O RANGI was released to critical acclaim in 2022 and was awarded the prestigious Taite Prize for Best Independent Debut. TE KAAHU was also nominated for ‘Best te reo Māori Album’ in the 2022 Waiata Māori Music Awards, ‘Best Alternative Artist’ at the 2022 AMA (NZ Music Awards) and ‘Favourite Album’, ‘Favourite Single’, ‘Favourite Solo Act’ and ‘Tohu Puoro o te reo Māori’ at the 2022 Student Radio Network Awards. TE KAAHU is also up for ‘Best Album’ and ‘Best New Artist’ at the 2023 Rolling Stone NZ Awards.
In July 2023, TE KAAHU toured Canada, including performances at the Folk on the Rocks festival in Yellowknife and the iconic Calgary Folk Music Festival.
Although seemingly worlds apart, Theia and TE KAAHU are both expressions of an artist and songwriter with integrity and depth. As the culture blog Uniquely Aligned aptly sums up: “No other artist can do Theia like Theia”.
