2004 Media Articles
Worshipping at the altar of Bic
TAKEOVER BID: Bic Runga is setting herself
up for international stardom
and is becoming one of New Zealand's
biggest international exports.
JEFF MCEWAN/The Dominion Post
Original content copyright 2004 to Dominion Post
Original article is at: Dominion Post
Date: 23 April, 2004
By: ROBYN MCLEAN
Worshipping at the altar of Bic
Bic Runga's Beautiful Collision was New Zealand's biggest selling album in 2003, relegating Norah Jones to number two. Nowadays, she's living in Paris and making major waves in Europe. By ROBYN MCLEAN
Bic Runga is setting herself up to become one of our biggest musical exports. Since the release of her 1997 album Drive, the petite singer with porcelain doll features has been a household name. Her albums have sold in record numbers and her mana can command the likes of Neil Finn offering free advice and backing vocals.
But despite her goddess status here, till recently Runga has been a virtual unknown in the overseas charts – something which might come as a surprise to her fans.
After living in Paris for the past eight months and commuting to London for promotional work every couple of weeks, the legwork is beginning to pay off for Runga.
Influential British radio station Radio 2 has put her single Get Some Sleep on their playlist and the album is on the charts in Britain, Ireland and Italy – something which the pop princess seems modestly pleased about.
Her eagerly anticipated second album Beautiful Collision was released here in 2002 and it has been a constant fixture on the charts ever since – a record 88 weeks. It's closest rival in the longevity stakes is Abba Gold, which has been on the charts for 41 weeks.
Despite the long dry spell between albums, fans embraced Beautiful Collision. It was the top selling album in New Zealand for 2003 – even beating popular artist Norah Jones, who was relegated to the No 2 spot.
Runga says that while living away from her Auckland-based partner can be hard, she loves life in the French capital.
"I've been working really hard. I really like it in Paris. I'm surprised more people don't live (there). Any New Zealander can go there for a year. It's an experience."
This week the petite singer began her New Zealand Acoustic Church Tour, which will see her performing in churches throughout the country.
The idea for venue choice came from an urge to do something a bit different.
"It came from a show to launch Beautiful Collision in London in a place called The Union Chapel. It's quite a well known rock venue but it's a church on Sundays. It's not unusual to do shows in churches, especially in the UK.
"I've been up and down the country quite a lot in New Zealand so I had to kind of find somewhere new.
"When I hit a new town I always want to go and find the cool church and go and check it out. You always feel a bit like you're not supposed to be there but I don't think churches would want you to feel that way.
"I know that a lot of people know where their local church is but they've never been inside. So it's kinda cool getting people who wouldn't normally go (to church) to go."
While considering herself a spiritual person, Runga doesn't belong to any religious group.
"My mother's a Buddhist. I do believe in something but I don't belong to a church. I wouldn't actually say I was religious though."
By choosing to play in churches, Runga has managed to tap into the rare few who weren't actually aware of who she was, with some people from within churches requesting copies of her CDs to make sure she was "suitable" for the venue.
Prior to arriving back in New Zealand, Runga stopped off in Fiji for her first-ever holiday.
On the phone from Auckland, she says she's feeling relaxed and happy – despite recent publicity about comments she made to an overseas newspaper.
Quoted in the Belfast Telegraph as saying in New Zealand "relationships can be really bad between Maori and others", Runga, who is half Maori and half Chinese, says she was somewhat flabbergasted to find the comments made the front page of a major New Zealand newspaper. "It was totally bizarre ... nothing I can't learn from because it marked a change in status. It was like going from a musician status to a celebrity status which I find amusing, a bit stupid."
She says the stories rehashing her comments were wrongly taken out of context. "It was wrong. They shouldn't have made it front page news, it wasn't news. That's what people said in the letters to the editor the next day. It was like, `no kidding, she grew up with racism'. I guess it's part of my job I (have to get used to). As much as newspapers will support you, you can't confuse that with them being your friend."
After the tour, Runga heads straight back to Britain.
"The album is doing really well in the UK and they want to release a second single next month so I need to be there." She has been picked up by legendary manager Alan McGee, who is famous for starting Creation Records as well as managing rock bad boys, Oasis.
The media are coming knocking too. A rare five-star review from music mag Mojo, really helped to kick things off, she says.
"They were directly instrumental in what you call breaking the record. The record has what you call `broken', it's a really exciting time."
Runga has since been featured in numerous magazines and broadsheet newspapers such as The Guardian.
"It's quite a big deal, it's real acceptance by the press. That's where it all started, I suppose, and then I got added to the playlist of the biggest radio station in the UK (Radio 2). The week I left it was No 55 on the charts, which is kind of amazing."
When she returns to her tiny apartment above the Picasso Museum in Paris' Marais district, Runga is planning to make more of an effort to become fluent in the language because while she's got enough French to get by "it's hard to make friends if you can't have a decent conversation".
But it's a small obstacle in the scheme of things.
"I set up to be able to sell records in at least one other country just so there's somewhere to go because, like most New Zealanders, I do like to get out. I've always wanted to live in Europe so I'm pretty happy, I can't complain about much."
Planning on basing herself offshore for a good few years, Runga says New Zealand is still home.
"I think wherever your mum and dad are is always going to be home, absolutely it's home.
"I really miss the musical community. It's a really nice feeling to feel like you belong to a group of people, especially when you are a solo artist."
She would encourage other New Zealand artists to take any opportunity to spend time overseas.
"Anyone who wants to come, I'm pretty lonely there by myself. I guess it's a big move and people find it hard, but it's worth it."
-Bic Runga plays at TSB Theatre, New Plymouth, Tuesday April 27, All Saints in Palmerston North, Wednesday April 28, St John's in the City in Wellington from Thursday April 29 till Saturday May 1.
Original article is copyright to Dominion Post
