24-year-old independent artist Avya is earning her place in Aotearoa’s music scene one song at a time.
Her single ‘You Don’t Get It’ received nationwide success in early 2023, landing her three weeks on the Hot NZ Singles Chart, while her previous single ‘Green’ was included in curated playlists by Spotify and Apple Music, including ’Self Care’’, New Music Daily’, ‘New in Pop’ and ‘New in Singer-Songwriter’.
Since placing fifth in TVNZ's Popstars, she has been a three-time recipient of NZ On Air funding, opened for artists such as Jeremy Redmore, Georgia Lines, and Jamie McDell, and expanded her collection of original material in collaboration with world-class songwriters and producers such as Joseph Faris, Noema Te Hau, Joel Jones, William Henderson, and more.
My Love is the first instalment of Avya's upcoming 3-track EP, set for release in late November.
A folk-pop anthem about learning one's worth through neglect in a relationship, My Love tows the line between foot-stomping folk and catchy pop music. Inspired by the likes of Noah Kahan, Matt Corby, and Kacey Musgraves, My Love is a love letter to story-driven songwriting and guitar-heavy production.
Hilariously, the song was inspired by an emotional episode of Australia's Married at First Sight 2024. Stepping into the shoes of one of the cast members, Avya tackles the push and pull of this particularly dysfunctional relationship through her songwriting
My Love is not a breakup song but rather a recognition that in a relationship, each party needs to learn to love themselves in order to let somebody else in - otherwise, you'll both end up in the trenches.
This felt like a message that ought to be backed by a solid guitar strum, a catchy hook and a belt-worthy melody. With this, Avya penned the chorus in her home studio in Tāmaki Makaurau
She brought the chorus to a session with co-writer Joel Jones, and the rest of the song came together beautifully
My Love is available to pre-save now. Out on all streaming services on October 4th 2024
Avya’s 3-track EP, titled She, is available to pre-save here. Out on all streaming services on 22 November 24
Following this series of releases, you can catch Avya performing at Festival One at Hartford Farm in January 2025. Tickets are available here.