Boh Runga

After six months spent recording in Hollywood with producer Marshall Altman (also responsible for making Brooke Fraser’s Albertine), chart-topper Boh is stepping out solo for the first time with this album, which has been preceded by two high rotation singles ‘Starfish Sleeping’ and ‘Evelyn’.
Boh has recorded a string of hits over three albums with her band Stellar*, including their most recent number one, ‘For A While’ and classics like ‘Violent’, ‘Taken’, ‘Undone’, ‘Part of Me’ and ‘Whiplash’.
The hugely talented Runga is excited about going solo having fronted one of New Zealand’s biggest selling and most successful bands.
“Songwriting’s a craft that I’ve worked at most of my life and I find that my songs now are influenced by my experiences and what I have observed of people and places on my travels,” says Boh from Los Angeles, where she has made her home for the past 2 years.
“Just hanging out listening to great pop music can be inspiring in itself. I saw Prince play at the Coachella festival last year and I thought ‘this is it…great musicians, timeless pop hooks – that is what makes music exciting for me.”
“I learnt so much over the years being with the guys in Stellar*. Now from time spent writing here, on my own and with other writers, and getting into the studio with Marshall and a new group of musicians, my songwriting and voice has a new vehicle for my first solo record.”
Right Here is packed with more hook-drenched songs from one of our finest songwriters. From the vibrant pop of ‘Evelyn’ to the intimate title track, the cocktail noir of ‘Airwave’ and epic rock of ‘Dark Horse’, Boh’s sweet vocals are effortlessly wrapped in a range of musical moods throughout the eleven track journey.
And alongside some of LA’s top players, Boh also roped in her pal Serj Tankian (System Of A Down) for a huge vocal performance alongside her on ‘Be Careful’.
Boh grew up in Christchurch, the daughter of a Maori ex-serviceman and a Chinese mother who forsook her own singing career in Malaysia to join him in a place she barely knew existed. It wasn't the easiest place to grow up but the Runga household, with Boh leading the way for her two younger sisters Pearl and Bic, was bursting to its seams with music.
Boh left Christchurch for Auckland to form Stellar* in the late 90’s. After signing with Sony Music, their 1999 debut album ‘Mix’ set New Zealand’s radio waves alight, and Stellar* quickly became Sony's biggest selling kiwi band. The acclaim wasn't just multi-platinum sales based, with Stellar* securing eight Tui Awards for ‘Mix’ and its 2001 follow up ‘Magic Line’.
After the release of ‘Magic Line’ and the subsequent touring of New Zealand, Australia and Europe, Boh headed to Los Angeles for the first time in 2003 for a period to hone her skills as a songwriter at the invitation of her American-based music publishers, Chrysalis.
"My publishers introduced me to working songwriters and it was an amazing experience being thrown into a situation where I would be in a room with a complete stranger with amazing musical credentials and hold my own. By the end of the day we would normally have a great pop song, or at least the basis of a great pop song.
"I got to sit down with Wendy Melvoin (Prince and the Revolution) and record our song in Frank Sinatra's old studio. I wrote with Kevin Savigar, Rod Stewart's songwriter. And I penned 'Whiplash' with Shelly Peiken who wrote 'Bitch' for Meredith Brooks and also Genie in a Bottle’ for Christina Aguilera.”
Powered by the afore-mentioned 'Whiplash' and the radio chart-topper 'For A While', third album ‘Something Like Strangers’ followed the previous two Stellar* albums straight into the charts in 2006 before Boh, now planning to live in LA and far away from her Stellar* bandmates, made the decision that her next album, Right Here, would be one made under her own name.
Boh returned to Los Angeles in 2007 to commence writing her first solo record, again connecting with LA’s songwriting community to co-write several of the songs featured on Right Here.
At the same time she was sketching designs for her second jewellery collection for the NZ Mint. In 2007, a fortuitous introduction to the gold bullion company had led Boh into designing and launching her first jewellery range called ‘Birdland’, based on her love of New Zealand’s native birds. Both ‘Birdland’ and ‘The Messenger Stories’, her second collection released in late 2008, have been a huge success.
“The last few years have been a great new adventure for me, I feel like I am thriving here in a really creative space. Perhaps it’s nice to be where the sun is always shining!”
Armed with a guitar, a sketchbook, and her head full of melodies, Boh Runga is at a creative peak and is proud and excited to have released her debut solo album.
Boh Runga MySpace Secret Show NZ!
Boh in the Studio - New video!

Starfish Sleeping - New video!

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