Stuff Digital Edition

4 I wish

AS TOLD TO: GRANT SMITHIES PHOTO: ALEX LOVELL-SMITH

Nadia Reid and I share a birthday. We both squeezed out into a bright new world on August 26, though I am 30 years older. How is it, then, that Reid seems so much more worldly, perceptive and articulate? The Guardian once described her as “an understated, wise guide through uncertain territory”, which seems bang on. Across three albums – Listen to Formation, Look for the Signs (2015), Preservation (2017) and Out of My Province (2020) – Reid has honed a soulful, spacious folk-rock sound that combines rich clear vocals, barebones beauty and emotional complexity in a way that recalls one of her greatest musical heroes, Joni Mitchell. She lives in Auckland with musician husband Angus and baby daughter Elliotte and opens for American singer / songwriter Sharon Van Etten at Auckland’s Civic Theatre on December 12.

I WISH, 10 YEARS AGO, I’D KNOWN…

Not to rush so muc h.Iwas2 0 then, and wanted to be independent so quickly . I’ d been flatting since I was 18, and wish I’d worried less about growing up an d be ing responsible and getting to the next stage .Igu ess being so s ensible helped me with my musi c, b ut I wish I’d been looser and had a bit more fun along the way .Ionl y have a handful of memorie sof being careless.

I WISH, EVERY DAY I COULD EAT…

Fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables. I’mav egetarian, which can be hard when you’re touring and end up living on bread and other carbs. But I’m bette r at making sure I e at w ell these days ,e specially now that I’m also looking after this other little person. Another thing I crav ee ver yd ay is coffee. Some people say it’s bad for you ,b ut I’v ec ome to th ec onclusion that coffee is life.

I WISH I COULD LIVE IN…

London, and I will be, soon. We’re moving to the UKinF ebruar y . I first went there whe nIwas24 , and it just felt like I was on th ed oorste pofth e world .N e wZ ealand is so beautiful but can also feel claustrophobic, so the vastness of London ble wm y mind, and all those museums and art gallerie s.Itf elt like a pla cey ou might try to shoot for your dreams, so that’s what we’re going to do.

THE PERSON I WISH WAS ON A BANKNOTE IS…

Jacinda Ardern. Whe nshe became prime minister, it r evolutionised how I engaged with politics. Beforehand, it all felt so boring because I couldn’t see people like m e be ing represented in the previous governme nt.Ir emembe rs erving her when I worked at Coco’s Cantina in Auckland and she was lovely .H er becoming prime ministe rr eally lit this fire of curiosity about politics. Whe nsh e became pregnant an dc ontinu ed d oing that job so w ell it just deepened that feeling for me. That fact that you could exce latsu ch a high career while also being a mother was ver ye mpowering to a lot of wome nm y age.

THE NOISE I WISH I COULD NEVER HEAR AGAIN IS…

The rumbl e be fore an earthquake. I was living in Christchurch through both th eb ig earthquakes, and Ir emembe rthe noise and the sensation whe n th ey started. You know when you fall off a bike, or you have a c ar a ccident or fall over, an de verything sort of slows down? It felt like that. Time slowed, then everything changed afterwards.

I WISH I COULD SPEND A SUNDAY WITH…

Helen Clark, Jacinda Ardern, Joni Mitchell and Patti Smith. Also, poets Mary Oliv e r an dA nne Lamott, who’s my favourite author. Just all of us together for a long lunch. There would be some fascinating conversations, and I’d love to sit and listen.

I WISH NEW ZEALAND WAS MORE…

Progressive whe n it came to drug and alcohol laws. Alcohol doe ssomu ch harm in our communities ,yet it’s heavily advertised on TV and readily available in supermarkets and there’s a liquor store on ever yc orner now. People’s drinking behaviour here sometime sv erge son barbaric, and it’s an aspec tofN e wZ ealan dc ulture that really needs to change .Th e fact that th ec annab isr eferendum didn’t go through was also reall yd isheartening. I don’t really partak e,b ut th ee vidence is clear that cannabis has strong medicinal value san d society is bette rofftr eating overuse asam edical problem, not a criminal one.

I WISH I COULD SWAP LIVES WITH… JONI MITCHELL DURING THE 70S. IT WAS A REALLY FRUITFUL TIME FOR MUSIC, WHEN A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE UNLEASHING THEIR CREATIVITY IN NEW WAYS. JONI WAS SOMEONE WHO REALLY HARNESSED HER ART DURING THAT PERIOD. SHE’S THE KEY INSPIRATIONAL ARTIST OF MY LIFE, REALLY. HER, AND LUCINDA WILLIAMS.

NAU MAI / WELCOME

en-nz

2022-11-27T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-11-27T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/283137137802680

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