Ladi6, aka Karoline Tamati, says finding love within the process of difficult changes has helped her find strength. Photo:
After time away from the music industry, Ladi6 is back with a brand new single and a nationwide tour this November.
The Samoan-Kiwi soul queen tells Music 101's Charlotte Ryan she feels very lucky to have two occupations that she's really passionate about: music and academia.
"Music is obviously my bread and butter, and has been for the last two decades, but it's also the only way I have any kind of cathartic, creative expression.
"Then it's just a good f***ing reason to get together with my best friends and go on tour, and bring joy to the world hopefully - because we feel joyful just being together, putting on the show."
Ladi6 pops in for a chat to celebrate new release 'Alofa'
Ladi6 performs on the Treaty Grounds main stage at Waitangi Day 2024. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf
After getting into the music industry at a young age, Ladi6 (aka Karoline Tamati) says university study wasn't on her radar until quite recently. "Maybe I thought I was too old, or I'd like aged out and wouldn't have the focus."
But now, in the second to last year of a psychology degree, her studies are going well.
As a "heart right on my sleeve kind of girl", Ladi's new single "Alofa" is pretty literal in its description of self-empowerment and self-love after a breakup, she says.
"['Alofa'] is about dealing with pain and stress and then also the transformative, amazing experience that may come out of that, once you get into the acceptance area and start to feel the good changes that come from change essentially.
"It's kind of like this alofa or this love for the breakup that happened, and then the transformation that happened, and then just the alofa for yourself, for having the resilience to see it through to the other side and be able to see that transformation."
On Friday 8 November, Ladi6 played the first show of her 'Alofa' tour in her hometown of Christchurch.
Atmospheric inner-city pub The Church - complete with leadlight windows - was a beautiful setting for a very personal event, she says.
"I had primary school friends, high school friends, old fans from [her former band] Sheelahroc days. It was just this epic, beautiful love. Everything I could possibly have imagined."
The upcoming Ladi6 album - which hasn't got a title yet - may drop in winter 2025.
"I've got this dream of doing like, a big winter tour and hitting all the regions in New Zealand, so I figured maybe June, July ish, next year… We're just kind of flying by the seat of our pants."
Alofa: The Heartbeat Tour Aotearoa
Saturday 9 November - The Sawmill Cafe, Leigh
Thursday 14 November - Meow, Wellington
Friday 15 November - Catacombs, Dunedin
Friday 29 November - Totara St, Mount Maunganui
Saturday 30 November - The Others Way Festival, Auckland