Earlier this year, Bic Runga (Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongomaiwahine) took her family to Paris, rented an Airbnb with a grand piano, and wrote her new album, Red Sunset. She'd been itching to "bookend the parenthood years" by returning to the French capital, where - inspired by Nina Simone - she had moved shortly after the release of Beautiful Collision. It was a "weird, lonely time," marred by back-to-back winters.
“I remember going to a Chinese doctor in Paris because I was so sick all the time, and so scrawny,” she says. “I just remember her saying to me: ‘Where is your mother? Go home to your mother.’”
This time was better; with her partner Kody Nielson, Runga, 49, recorded the piano tracks in Paris, completed the album in New Zealand, and is now gearing up to share Red Sunset with the world. At the link in bio, Aotearoa's most decorated songwriter tells George Fenwick about turning 50, the joyful surprises of parenthood, and her work with APRA to improve conditions for artists.
“I see a lot of generational talents giving up, and that's a real bummer," she says. "We need to do something about it."
📝 @george_fenwick
📷️ @guycoombes
@sundaymag
✨ “It’s Like Summertime” is out now! ✨
This is the first single from my forthcoming album Red Sunset, written and produced alongside @kody_nielson The song is a nostalgic reflection on childhood friends and those carefree moments of youth. Out now on all platforms - I hope you enjoy it! 🌞🎶
It’s been a while since I last shared new music of my own. This Friday my new song It’s Like Summertime will be out everywhere. It’s about remembering the friends and carefree days of childhood, and imagining a brighter future still to come. Nostalgic, a little bittersweet, but full of hope - I can’t wait for you to hear it. Pre-save link in bio. 🌞
https://ffm.to/itslikesummetime
After 15 years, Bic Runga is back and feeling HAPPY! 🎶✨
We dove deep into YouTube rabbit holes, 3am fuzzy thoughts, and why taking your time is totally okay. 🕰️
New music = new joy. So good to have you back, Bic! 🎤
Shoutout to our legends Sprocket for keeping these chats rolling! 🙌
Keep up with Bic Runga on Instagram!
#BicRunga #Happy #NewMusic #MentalHealthMatters #Music
So blown away by the response to the UK leg of the Red Sunset Tour! Thank you for the love, Manchester and Bristol—those shows are now SOLD OUT.
If you’re planning to come to the Brighton or London shows, please move quickly as tickets are flying. 🏃♀️
See you in June! 🌅
@bicrunga at @theprincessbrisbane last week, supported by @god_emoji ° .• *
this was a bit of a special one for me - Sway got me through a lot of my homesickness when I lived in Aotearoa so it was pretty surreal photographing Bic 🤎 swipe to the end to see a photo Mariyah in 2019 wouldn’t believe is real and the lovely people I met in line to meet Bic!
“Despite the sonically different sound in Red Sunset, the movement between these songs and those of her past wasn’t jarring, but instead a coherent extension of her discography — still honest, still moving, still Bic.” – read my full review of Bic’s show, now up on @lovestreetmagazine
huge thank you to @livenationaotearoa for the opportunity!
As the Rising Women ambassador of New Zealand 🇳🇿, the legendary Bic Runga is making a cinematic return. With a career spanning 30 years and a record-breaking 20 Aotearoa Music Awards, she has defined the sound of a nation.
Now, 15 years since her last original album, ‘Red Sunset’ marks a bold evolution—blending her iconic songwriting with a minimal, surrealist visual palette. A powerful reminder that true artistry never stands still.
