With his debut album due this year alternative R&B producer 44kyn (Kayne Paranihi) reckons he struck a rich seam when he composed Live It Up and shared the track with Tāmaki Makaurau-based sultry R&B/neo soul artist RENÉE. Released in August the song has lived up to its name, been well-received at student radio and featuring on NZ On Air Music’s September NewTracks compilation.

Where do you hail from and where are you living these days?

I’m originally from the Kapiti Coast, but I’ve been living in Pōneke / Wellington for the past four years.

Was any music tuition important in your musical progress?

Funnily enough I’ve never studied music in any official capacity. I’m mostly self-taught, but I owe a lot of my knowledge to my friend and longtime collaborator Jacob (Shehatesjacob) who I’ve known for years and who really helped me go from being an amateur producer to… whatever I am now.

Any other projects we might know you from?

There’s a chance you may have seen a cover art or gig poster I’ve made, but the only music I’ve released has been released under my own name.

What’s the background to you becoming a solo artist? 

I first started making music in Audacity when I was 12. I loved the idea of sampling as an art and I was making chopped and screwed R&B and soul. I also listened to a lot of Joji and Nujabes at that time and really wanted to combine those two styles.

I was making beats and keeping them to myself for years before I had the courage to rap or sing over my own instrumentals, because I was super insecure about my voice. Jacob was the one who really encouraged me to try recording vocals on a song and one day I did. And now I’m here.

What production tools do you rely on?

I almost exclusively use FL Studio for song production and recording. I’ve been teaching myself how to use it for the past seven years or so. Most of the time I’m playing with old samples from sample packs or CDs, but sometimes I’ll use MIDI synthesisers like the Korg M1 or Triton. 

When and how did you choose the artist name 44kyn?

I came up with the name when I was probably 15 (I’m 22 now). It’s literally just my favourite number and my name (Kayne) and it’s pronounced as such. I don’t know why I chose to spell my name like that, I just thought it was cool as a teenager.

How has your musical output as 44kyn evolved over time?

My music is a lot more ‘myself’ and personal. My writings definitely gotten better and the production too. My philosophy to making music has definitely changed as well. I used to want to make hit songs but nowadays I prefer making music purely as a form of expression. 

You released an EP ‘indigo’ in 2024. Were there some key lessons learnt from that project?

The most important thing I learnt from making ‘indigo’ is that people will always gravitate towards something that has a lot of passion put into it. It sounds really silly to say because of course that’s true, but it would never really cross my mind that people who don’t listen to my style of music could enjoy it as much as people who do.

What’s been the big career highlight to date? 

Definitely releasing Live It Up and having it get the amount of love that it has. Making music is how I express myself and it feels so nice to have anyone, even a single person, connect with something I put a lot of work and a lot of myself into.  

What made Live It Up stand out for you as a single? 

Compared to a lot of my other songs, Live It Up definitely has a wide appeal – a lot of my songs are very introspective and sometimes somber… This song still has that kind of writing but it’s presented in a catchier, less depressing way. This is my most successful song I’ve released so far, so I think I was onto something.

What’s the story behind Live It Up? 

Lyrically the song is about feeling tired and overworked and just wanting to find an escape from it all, looking for somewhere where I can find happiness and, well, ‘live it up’. The idea of it came from being in that cycle of working all week, feeling tired and stressed, and then just wanting to get drunk on the weekend to feel better… only to feel worse.

What’s your favourite moment, musical or lyrical, of the track?

For me it’s definitely that beat switch at the end. I think the lyrics are a bit more self aware than the rest of the song, where I’m kind of like, “Oh man, life is stressing me out and this escape is not gonna make me feel any better.”

Where did you record/produce the single?

I produced this song myself sometime in 2024, and I didn’t end up recording my parts until around June 2025. Back then I was sending a bunch of beats to RENÉE [Renee Burnett] as she was making her first EP at that time. I recorded a little demo of my chorus and sent it to her because I thought she would fit really well on the song, and she definitely did! 

What would you like listeners to take away from this song?

I just hoped they enjoyed it is all.

Anyone else in your team?

I’m entirely independent, I do all of the marketing, management etc. myself. But I owe a lot of credit to all of my friends for always being so encouraging and helping me flourish as a musician but more importantly as a person. To name a few, Jacob, like I said before, is the person who really helped me get to where I am now, and I’m always thankful for that. Ben Kirilo is another friend who I couldn’t do a lot of this without, he always understands my creative vision and is an incredibly talented photographer and creative director.

You’ve done a lot of collab releases. What’s your artist selection process?

Usually I’m just collaborating with my friends. Even if we don’t have the exact same musical style, I love trying to find an in-between or blend our styles and music making methods together. But I have an endless amount of Kiwi artists I’d love to collab with. If you’re a local artist reading this hit me up.  

Any other musical endeavours you’re working on that we should keep an eye out for?

I’m gonna be releasing my debut album soon. I’ve got one more single coming out before that called Reflections which will be out soon as well. I have very recently shot my first full music video, and it’ll be releasing with the single.

I’m super excited for that and my album to be out because I put an endless amount of effort into it and it’s a very personal project for me, so definitely keep an eye out. 

Can you please name three other local tunes that would fit well on a playlist alongside yours.

RENÉE – Slip Away 
Church – Distant 
Sarvi – Snake Charmer

Have any of your previous single releases been included on NewTracks or received NZOA funding?

This is the first time I have been included on NewTracks.

Are there any musical blogs, Youtube channels or podcasts you’re super into?

I’d definitely recommend checking out the Native Birds Aotearoa radio show on Radio One 91FM. It’s an amazing place to find a lot of new R&B and rap from NZ. Personally I’ve found a lot of my favourite Kiwi R&B artists from that show. 

How can we find you on social media?

Instagram

Is your creativity wider than music production?

When I was younger I used to be really into making video edits, and I also used to design and make clothing as well. I’ve also designed a lot of cover art and posters for other artists. I can have a pretty on and off relationship with being creative, depending on how much free time I have, but if I really believe in an idea I will usually push myself to make it no matter what it is.

Any last words?

Thank you so much for the Interview! Also, hi Neve 🙂