With a sold-out nationwide tour behind him, Teeks is entering into 2021 raring to go. To the delight of his followers, Teeks’ extremely anticipated debut album One thing To Really feel has lastly been launched.
Teeks and Charlotte hanging out on the RNZ places of work in Auckland
Photograph: equipped
The album is an emotional pay attention and sees Teeks reject colonised concepts of masculinity, embrace te ao Māori and give up to his feelings.
Click here to purchase Something to Feel
Music 101 was fortunate sufficient to have Teeks take Music 101’s Charlotte Ryan via the brand new album, monitor by monitor.
He says the content material is like “a linear narrative” drawing on his experiences over a one-to-two-year interval.
“Some songs undoubtedly are linked in a roundabout way as a result of they’re a part of a much bigger story they usually symbolize completely different moments in time.”
Requested if he’s in contact together with his emotions, he says he was not very expressive when he was rising up however now he has matured, he has realised it is wholesome to say what he’s feeling.
“We name it progressive masculinity however for me it is extra of a reclamation of beliefs and values that my [Māori] ancestors at all times knew and knew the ability of so it is reconnecting to that a part of who I’m.”
He says he lives in a “twin actuality” of each Pākehā and Māori traditions however within the Māori world males had been at all times emotionally conscious.
The album impressed him to get a tattoo of the phrase ‘give up’ on his neck after the nationwide pandemic lockdown ended final 12 months.
“By way of the method of scripting this album and navigating that entire house of emotional consciousness and vulnerability…. the phrase turned important to me as a result of I discovered power in it …
“To me it is a optimistic factor – I’ve carried out loads of introspection and I’ve carried out loads of self-reflecting.”
Loads of studying has saved his thoughts and spirit wholesome, he says, as a substitute of specializing in regrets and different unfavourable ideas from the previous or worrying about what the long run holds.
“There’s undoubtedly layers to the tattoo and to the that means… acknowledging these emotions is crucial factor… I assumed it would be good to make an announcement, put it [the tattoo] someplace seen as a result of once more it is about being weak and never being scared to disclose a part of your self.”
Teeks and Hollie Smith acting at Auckland’s City Corridor
Photograph: Adrian Malloch
‘Fortunate’ to be round singers
Teeks is thought for his distinctive highly effective voice showcased on songs like With out You however has by no means had any formal coaching. “Through the album I needed to verify I used to be taking care of my voice – it was extra so concerning the upkeep of the voice and understanding the mechanics of it, particularly recording and happening tour as a result of I really feel that my voice has acquired a little bit bit fragile…
“However by way of method or something, I have not actually had any coaching. I used to be fortunate – I’ve at all times been round singers.”
His whānau and rising up on the marae meant singing was an enormous a part of his adolescence, he says.
He describes Right here earlier than as one of the vital uncooked and weak songs on the album – it’s simply Teeks and his guitar and was a track that “wrote itself”, he says.
“It is a therapeutic track.”
Teeks
Photograph: Dan Addington
The monitor ‘Bear in mind Me’ has already had greater than 2 million listens on Spotify, with individuals letting him know from a number of elements of the world that they prefer it.
He did not anticipate it to be successful on business radio, nevertheless, he likens it to a few of Adele’s hits.
As for the truth that his music is now gaining a world viewers, “I write these songs within the second and I do it as a result of it helps me after which as soon as I end and put it out, the track does not belong to me anymore.
“It is like out into the world and whoever goes to attach, listens to the track, it is like a cool feeling…”
Teeks, who’s 27, mentioned a monitor known as ‘Youthful’ which is about “seizing the day, realising that we’re not right here eternally on this lifetime so we would as properly fulfil our goal and chase our goals and be content material with life and do all the things that you could to ensure that it was the most effective life you may have hoped for”.
The ultimate monitor, ‘First Time’, is written from “a spot of hope”, he says, and ends the album on a optimistic word though as soon as once more it exposes his vulnerability.
The album may also be launched quickly on vinyl: “It is so completely different to simply pushing play in your cellphone,” he says.
TEEKS tour dates Te Rerenga ‘One thing to Really feel’ ki Aotearoa
Pipiri/June
Pipiri 4 – Municipal Theatre, Ahuriri
Pipiri 5 – The Civic, Tamaki Makaurau
Pipiri 11 – Michael Fowler Centre, Poneke
Pipiri 12 – Opera Home, Te Whanganui-a-Tara
Pipiri 18 – Isaac Theatre Royal, Otautahi
Pipiri 19 – Regent Theatre, Otepoti
