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Bic bringing it back

Original content copyright 2002 to Stuff Entertainment

ON TOUR: Bic Runga is touring New Zealand in support of her
 new album Beautiful Collision.
Photo supplied

Original article is at:    Stuff.co.nz

Date:                          5 December, 2002

By:                             NICK GORMACK

Fresh from playing sell-out concerts in America and Australia, Runga kicks off her New Zealand tour – her first in four years – just as Beautiful Collision hits triple-platinum sales at home and the single Something Good is the No. 1 radio single in the country (as was first single Get Some Sleep).

Runga, who was brought up in Christchurch (where her parents still live), says the success of Beautiful Collision has been extremely satisfying. "I put so much work into that album. I'd never worked so hard on anything before in my life and it meant so much to me. I put a lot of effort into making that, and it was such a stressful time."

Beautiful Collision is the follow-up to Runga's massive debut album, Drive, which, released in 1997, went on to become the biggest selling NZ album of all time. After that sort of success there was always going to be immense pressure on Runga to follow it up, and she admits the success of Beautiful Collision has given her new confidence in her career.

"I think it shows to me that, yeah, it might be possible for me to have a career doing this, because with just one album it was like `Well, that was nice, but maybe it was a bit of fluke'. So it's really good to get that success with Beautiful Collision."

Runga, who played pretty much everything on Drive, also displays her versatility on tour – playing guitar, piano, and drums – while her tour band comprises Milan Borich (drums, vocals) and Tim Arnold (guitar, vocals) from Pluto, Ben King (bass, vocals) from Goldenhorse, and David Garza (guitar).

"They're a cool, young band. It's funny, I've been playing in bands for so long and they've always been older than me, but now I'm starting to catch up! Also its really nice having male backing vocals. All these guys are singers in their own bands and I think that resonates with my voice and the bits of the voice that I can't reach – I like the harmonies you get."

Also joining Bic on the tour will be her older sister sister Boh, from rock group Stellar. "We haven't actually ever performed much together before, so that will be nice. And it will be fun touring with her. She's my big sister and everything is easier with her around."

After the current tour, Runga heads back to the US, where Beautiful Collision will be released in March. First up, however she is playing at the high profile Sundance Film Festival in Utah in January. "I'm really excited about that – it's a really big deal. I'm the only new artist to play there next year, and I'll do two shows in front of directors and industry people. It gives me a chance to get my music on to soundtracks and the like, which is a good way of doing things now."

* Bic Runga, Beautiful Collision Tour, with Paul Kelly, Goldenhorse – Thursday, December 12, Christchurch Town Hall. Tickets from Ticketek.