Amy Boroevich (Te Rarawa, Ngāti Raukawa) makes music under the name Hina, that of the goddess of the moon across Polynesia. Her music blends genres including indie-rock, soul, alt-country, and pop. She is based in Tāmaki Makaurau, and often lends her talents to other musicians projects, being able to play an array of instruments. Her song writing has been labelled “timeless,” “Aotearoa noir,” and “ever-rising” – and yet she is only 20 years old.
Here is Amy’s Shameless Plug.
My hot take on music is that entertainment is just as important as art. Honestly, these days, I want to go to a show and be entertained, and I want to entertain at my shows too. I want people to enjoy themselves. I want to have fun, I want us to have a good time together. I don’t always want to think about catharsis and release. I can’t keep trauma-mining the well of my subconscious just to write a song. I’m done with emotional masochism. I spent enough time doing that with my latest album, onto the next!
The most fun I’ve ever had on a project was during a particular writing session a couple of years ago. I was at Big Fan for Manu Tāiko, a producer wānanga, in one of the studios with Noema, Ruth, and Arahi. We spontaneously decided to write a reo Māori waiata at the end of the day and see what happened. I pulled up a couple of reference tracks for music I would never usually even try to make, one from Molchat Doma and another from GRLwood. We wrote a couple of verses and a chorus, laid down some drums, bass, arpeggiated synths, Noema got me to unleash a Mia Goth-esque scream into the mic, everyone else came in to have a listen, and then we all went to the pub.
My personal motto is: Let the chips fall as they may. I’ve recently come to realise that everything will work out how it’s meant to. I’ve found that the outcome is the same if I stress, push, hustle, or if I just let things unfold. Obviously I set intentions and goals, but once the trajectory is set then it’s more about allowing the blessings to find me as they may, and to trust that what misses me wasn’t meant for me to begin with.
My hottest career hack is to just do it. You don’t have to have everything figured out before you try. I’ve found incredible liberation from admitting that I don’t really know what I’m doing. I’ve tried and disliked, I’ve tried and hated, I’ve tried and loved. Keep giving it a go until you find a way to do whatever it is that you do that works for you. It’s the creative arts. Get creative on all fronts.
The best advice I’ve received was from my father, and it is to set the bar a little higher than you think. His goal was to be an All Black. One of his only regrets is that his goal wasn’t to be a great All Black.
My favourite arts space is Kāhui St David’s on Khyber Pass Road. All the photography for my album was taken there by the wonderful Ebony Lamb. I shot the video for South Pacific Sun there with my mum. My album release show is there on 6 August. It all comes back around. Paul Baragwanath does such an incredible job at keeping the fires burning, and being a light for the arts in Tāmaki.
The place I feel most creative is in the car. Something about the movement, the changing of scenery, the inability to do much else except sit and stare out the window. I’m particularly inspired by long drives through Aotearoa. I love following the rivers, watching our landscapes unfold, our colour palettes, open skies. I’ve written a few songs on State Highways 1, 2, 3, 5, even 16.
The best place in my city is a small bay tucked along the banks of the Tāmaki River. On a bad day I close my eyes and I’m back there in summer, weightless in the water. At high tide it’s paradise.
My shameless plug is my debut record, Descending Dreams! It was recorded live at Neil Finn’s Roundhead Studios with a seven-piece band and four-piece string ensemble. You can buy a vinyl if you want to hold it in your hands! It’s also on all streaming services, it’s everywhere you get your music.
