Ngaiire’s new album Blastoma is one of the year’s best so far, her stunning voice only matched by equally-impressive production by Paul Mac and Jack Grace.
Recently, Ngaiire traveled across Europe, visiting everywhere from Jerusalem to Rome, writing, recording and filming along the way. She put together a beautifully-shot travel diary for us, an absolute tease in the dead of winter.
You’ll be able to catch Ngaiire live at the massive Splendour In The Grass this year, supporting soul maestro Leon Bridges on his sold-out tour, or on the remainder of her Blastoma tour supported by a talented crew including singer/songwriter LANKS, co-conspirator Jack Grace, and Perth duo Phocal.
Blastoma is available now on iTunes, and tickets for the tour are available online):
Sat 02 Jul – The Foundry, Brisbane
Wed 06 Jul – Festival of Voices, Hobart
Fri 08 Jul – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
Sat 09 Jul – Transit Bar, Canberra
SHOREDITCH / LONDON
We started writing some of Blastoma here so it was quite nostalgic returning. Jack Grace set up a makeshift studio in our apartment. while I recorded vocals in my room. There’s a great bagel place around the corner called Beigel Bake on Brick Lane.
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LIVERPOOL
I think most people associate Liverpool with just The Beatles, but I don’t think many know that it was actually the number one port in all of Europe for the slave trade during the reign of the British Empire. ‘Penny Lane’ by The Beatles was supposedly named after James Penny, a slave ship owner and anti-abolitionist.
SEFTON PARK PALM HOUSE / LIVERPOOL
This atrium was probably the warmest part of Liverpool.
JERUSALEM
I’d walked so much that day. Jerusalem is one of the most electrifying places I’ve been.
DAMASCUS GATE / JERUSALEM
There are seven gates to the old city of Jerusalem. Damascus (Sha’ar Schechem to the Jews or Bab al-Amud to the Arabs) in particular has had blood spilled outside its walls by both Israelis and Palestinians. Built in the 1500s, it is also a gateway to many frequently-visited holy relics for Jews, Christians and Muslims.
JERUSALEM
The Old City is divided into four quarters: The Armenian Quarter, The Jewish Quarter, The Christian Quarter, and the Muslim Quarter. Walking through each quarter is an assault on the senses.
TEL AVIV
I met a lot of really great people here including Ben, who ended up being my boyfriend in the video we shot here for my single ‘House On a Rock’.
TEL AVIV
I got rid of the blonde and straightened the locks for the video clip. People like to party here a lot as I discovered, ending up at a gay rooftop ‘Frozen’-themed birthday party. Here I learned that Vodka is definitely not my friend.
TEL AVIV
Israel was a real eye opener, listening to both sides of a very long story.
MASADA
I spent the day in the Judaean desert near the Dead Sea visiting Masada, a 400m high plateau upon which the Roman king Herod the Great built his palaces. It was then overtaken by rebel Jews (Sicarris). The Romans then built a siege ramp up the side of the cliff to take Masada back, but by the time they got there the 960 jews had all committed suicide bar a few women and children. Hectic.
THE COLOSSEUM / ROME
Rolling into Rome is like rolling into a painting. It was crazy coming from a place like Israel where the Roman Empire had once enslaved thousands of Jews. Gazing upon something as monumental as The Colosseum gives you a frightening perspective on how advanced and powerful their empire was.
POSITANO / ITALY
I cried when we drove down the Amalfi Coast. Its beauty is breathtaking – and NEVER use that word. We woke up to this view every morning.
PATÙ / ITALY
As much as we loved Positano, we wanted to head somewhere that wasn’t so touristy. We ended up down south right on the heel in a sleepy town called Patù. We ate most of our meals out here in the backyard.
POSITANO
There are about 40 or so weddings a day here on this beach. Unfortunately (but fortunately) Australia still has the best beaches in comparison.
PATÙ
Our place used to be a stable, built in the 1800s with big arched ceilings and an old trough that is now the kitchen sink. Italians also love their siestas, so my bed and I got to know each other really well.
OSTUNI / PUGLIA
We literally ate/drank our way through Italy. We met a pretty wonderful restauranteur called Salvatore in Patù who introduced us to real regional Italian food which you can find all throughout Puglia. We spent many afternoons consuming said food on this rooftop, watching the sun set.
OSTUNI / PUGLIA
We stayed right in the middle of what they call ‘the white city’ or Ostuni.
POLIGNANO / A MARE
The Adriatic sea at this time of the year is still bloody cold, but we jumped in anyway.
ALBEROBELLO
We drove past this town on the way to Naples. These are traditional Apulian houses called Trullo or Trulli which you can find all over Alberobello.
