In mid-October developing Ōtautahi-based dark pop artist Myah Eve released Layers, a haunting piano ballad that comes from a space where hurt and healing meet. The live music video that followed a few weeks after further reveals her soaring, emotive vocal range, reflecting the single’s empowering theme of the transformative power of being truly seen and loved unconditionally.
Born and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau, Eve (Myah Somers) has been immersed in music since childhood, writing songs, performing in choirs, and completing a diploma in Electronic Music Production at SAE. Intent on pursuing a career in music she moved from Auckland to Christchurch in 2024 to join the SOLE Music Academy’s artist development programme.
Released in November that year, her first single release, Slow, was co-written and produced by Edward Liu (Edyonthebeat), an infectious pop track that delved into the complex emotions of anxiety and self-sabotage.
Survive, her second single which arrived in July 2025, was written by Eve with Liam Crawford producing, this one about teenage heartbreak and embracing an upbeat electro pop sound. Her third single Layers sees Myah Eve emerging as a dark pop artist, a rich and theatrical piano ballad revealing the artist’s growing confidence in pushing her vocal performance and breadth of songwriting.
“Last year during the SOLE Artist Development course, Sacha (Vee) challenged me to write a slower ballad-like song. That resulted in Layers. I grew up feeling like I didn’t truly matter, and this song is about the powerful feeling of someone truly loving you unconditionally. I wrote and produced a demo version of it, which Liam Crawford later re-produced and elevated for the single release.
“I really like the bridge because of the way it gradually builds up and releases all the emotion at the end. The key lyric, ‘I remove these layers’ has multiple meanings, depending on how you want to look at it. I think it’s very poetic.”
The power and simplicity of Layers is further illustrated in the live performance music video released separately at the end of October. The video was filmed at Ōtautahi music, arts and events venue The Piano. Performing along with William Kao on the grand piano was a string ensemble of Aya McLarty and Hugh Hawkins on violin, Meghan Dunn on viola and Eilish Espiner playing cello.
“We were aiming to create an intimate acoustic live music video that was edited like a traditional music video, so we could showcase different lighting, choreography and visual storytelling throughout the performance.”
Winning The Piano’s Bronwyn Bijl Scholarship provided Eve with $2000 to help cover the video costs, including creative director Kate Stacey and videographer Theo Vila.
“It was an online entry where I shared my vision for a live music video of Layers, and said I wanted to celebrate art through collaboration with dancers and other musicians. I’m so incredibly grateful for their support and helping me bring my vision to life.”
