News Articles
Entertainment Music
18 July, 2002
Bic's Collision Course
Original content copyright 2002 to News Ltd., Australia
Original article is at: news.com.au
18 July 2002
By: Jon Hart
IT'S the first day of publicity for Bic Runga's second album, Beautiful Collision, and the New Zealand singer/songwriter has good reason to sound slightly hesitant.It marks the beginning of a new cycle for Runga after a three-year break following the success of her debut album Drive -- a record she wrote and produced -- which made her a household name in her home country and Australia.
Runga's return to music saw her travel the world to find musicians and engineers -- all 12 of them.
She grabbed REM drummer Joey Waronker, compatriots Neil Finn and Dave Dobbyn and mixing engineer Michael Brauer (Coldplay, New Radicals and The Rolling Stones), who worked out of eight studios in five countries.
Time was never going to be an issue, she says -- the three years helped heal the wounds that opened when she faced the media and its opinions of her music the first time around.
"I saw my record go into this little media machine and it just got munched up and it felt like it had nothing to do with me," Runga says.
"You just get on this media treadmill. I mean, it's nice, although you've got to divorce yourself from it somewhere or else it gets too personal."
Despite the success of Drive, which went seven times platinum in New Zealand and close to gold in Australia, Runga often felt "used" by the media.
"I think that feeling is always around the corner for anyone who's in the public eye, but I have a lot of faith in the music I make and ultimately I want it be heard," she says.
The three years between albums has helped the singer strengthen herself and prepare for a similar scrutinising process.
"I think prior to this day I wasn't really ready," she says.
"I think you need to really arm yourself with a lot of skills before you can get back on that treadmill.
"I care a lot less about what people think of me and I think that's part and parcel of growing up.
"I'm not so afraid of saying no and I'm diplomatic when saying no. My communication skills are a lot better.
"I'm quite a different person. I certainly know a lot more about record-making. I think I've found my own voice now, I'm not so consumed about emulating things, as you do when you're younger, and I think that my lyric writing is a lot stronger than it used to be."
Beautiful Collision is out now.
The Daily Telegraph
Original content copyright 2002 to News Ltd., Australia
