Wellington based singer and electronic musician, Nicole Andrews, is set to release her second and highly anticipated album, A Stranger, on May 4th followed by a national album tour.

Her music is described as “Simple, stripped back, yet incredibly solid” by NZ Musician Magazine; and The Listener Magazine have said “for those who like their femininity fierce and fearless.” Now with the release of,  A Stranger , on the horizon, Andrews delves into the realm of electronic music, pairing with Rhombus producer, Thomas Voyce, for production.

We fired some questions Nicole's way to find out more about the tour and her new album. 

Who were your early musical influences? 

PJ Harvey, Nine Inch Nails, Bjork, Tori Amos, 

How was it growing up in Portland? 

Rainy and full of art and weirdness. I loved growing up in Portland, and I know that being from Portland has shaped me in particular ways with my music and ideas of life and art. It’s a very open minded city and full of things that could be considered weird, but in Portland it just is. 

What events brought you to move from Portland to Wellington? 

I initially moved from Portland overseas for a relationship, but the process of then getting to Wellington had a lot to do with my music. I was living in Queenstown before, and felt like I should be in a bigger city to try and connect with other musicians and really dive into the arts scene. 

You’ve just released your second album ‘A Stranger’. Did you approach this much differently compared to your debut release? 

The album itself is quite different from my first album, because the first one was a piano album and this one is fully electronic. So, the whole process has been quite different from the first; everything from writing to recording, to producing, to releasing. I’ve taken a different route every step of the way, but that comes from experience and learning from the first. 

Where did you record ‘A Stranger’? 

It was recorded at Rhombus Studios in Wellington. 

How long did the process take? 

The recording process was about 2 weeks in total, but we did sit on the songs between steps to see how they felt after giving our ears a break. It meant that we could go back and really make the right decisions for the songs with some breaks in there, but it did make the process longer.

You’ve just kicked off your NZ tour. How did the first show go? 

The first show was great, people gave good feedback. I was told by a good friend who has been to many of my gigs over the years that I was at my best that night. So real good, and it felt good. 

What plans do you have for your music following the last show of the tour in Auckland on the 25th

Well, for me once I release an album I immediately start writing the next one, but meanwhile I’m still going to be getting the word out about this album and hopefully get people listening to it from all over. 

Nicole Andrews

18th May:  Lyttelton/Chch, Wunderbar

19th May:  Queenstown, Sherwood

25th May:  Auckland, The Wine Cellar

Tour supported by Creative New Zealand

Tickets for all tour dates available on Eventfinda and Under the Radar.