Pop artist Finau released her third single Isn’t It Obvious in June. Drawing from genres including RnB and reggae, the Tāmaki Makaurau artist used music to navigate her shyness and express herself. She chatted with Kat Parsons about the new track, its upcoming music video and toxic relationships. Made with support from NZ On Air Music.

“Growing up, I was very shy,” says the artist. “I couldn’t speak to anyone, and I was a room girl – even now. When I got into music I started expressing myself how I wanted to, through my lyrics and melodies. I feel like the only thing no one can take away from me is my music.”

Raised by her grandparents, Finau Malia Lauaki‘s earliest memory of music stemmed from them.

“My grandpa was in a band,” she explains. “He would always show me pictures of him playing the guitar and the band in Tonga. So that made me want to play the guitar because I always wanted to be like him. Then a cousin of mine taught me a couple of chords, and I think that’s where my love for music started. I could sing, but I was way too shy to ask people to play for me, so I just wanted to play for myself.”

Her realised love of music led her to study at MAINZ, earning a Diploma in Contemporary Musical Arts then a Music Arts degree, majoring in songwriting.

“It was really cool,” she reminisces. “I was a shy person and didn’t like singing in front of people. The course put me out there and pushed my limits. I also met a lot of people who could help me – producers, guitarists – and actually teach me how to play the guitar properly instead of just the three chords that I knew before,” she laughs.

Finau began releasing music in 2023, debuting with single Grow Up, followed by Possibilities. Leaning more towards the R&B sound both songs showcase her soulful and captivating vocals.

“I go through phases of genres,” she says. “Before this, I was writing a lot of ballads, and then I was like, ‘Oh, I’m happy now, let’s do pop songs’. I have a lot of pop songs ready to be released, but recently I’ve also been writing a lot of R&B-pop. So it’s basically pop but with elements of R&B or reggae here and there.”

Drawing inspiration from close to home, Finau explains how the story behind Isn’t It Obvious is based on her cousin.

“She was going through this really toxic relationship and I was trying to help, trying to help her through it. Around that time I was at home and I wrote the song on my phone, went to the studio and started recording it.

“Then one day, we were driving somewhere and I was like – do you wanna listen to the song that I wrote? I showed it to her and was staring, hoping she wouldn’t notice that it was about her. She asked. ‘Is this about me?’ and I was like, ‘Yeah.’ We were both just laughing for like five minutes!

“She said it was all good and whatever inspires me. So, that is how it started. It developed from helping her through her toxic relationships at the time, and just inspired something in me to write like a girls’ anthem.”

Having written the song with her guitar and recording a demo on her phone, the 27-year-old reached out to Auckland producer Chequered Patterns, aka Seb Judd (Bandi, Diggy Dupé), who she also worked with on her previous tracks.

“It was really slow at first, which is weird,” she explains. “You wouldn’t think that it was a slow song at first. When I showed it to Seb then we made it into a pop song. I love working with Seb because he is open to lots of ideas. I always second guess myself, but his thing is – no idea is a bad idea. Yeah, I love working with Chequered Patterns – he’s pretty cool.”

By August the single will soon have its own music video directed by Kasi Valu and shot/edited by Vain Creative.

“A friend of mine called Kasi, who is very creative, kept telling me that he really liked my song Grow Up,” explains Finau. “He asked me if I had any new projects because he’d love to collab.

“It’s a fun music video. I haven’t seen it yet because it’s still being edited, but there are lots of colours and metaphors. I have the pictures and ideas in my mind, but actually putting it together is so hard, so I have so much respect for directors and producers.”

With that music video release a few weeks away, Finau is looking forward to her next project and pushing herself to go further outside her comfort zone.

“After studying I wanted to do music, but I was too shy to ask people to help me. It’s just recently that I’ve started releasing music, and now I want to get into playing shows. I have four songs mastered and ready to release. I’m excited to release the next track because I love it. I just listened to it on my way back home. I’m excited to share more music and visual things as well.”

Finau smiles as she contemplates the most important aspect of her music-making process.

“For me it’s melody. I love singing melodies and coming up with different harmonies and stuff like that. I’m still learning with lyrics. To be honest, I kind of regret not reading as many books growing up,” she chuckles, shaking her head. “I’m like – what rhymes with day and makes sense?!”

“It’s a learning process, but I think the best thing I am good at is melodies and harmony.”

When asked what her favourite part of Isn’t It Obvious is, she’s quick to answer.

“I love the bridge, which is a chorus but broken down. It’s kind of quiet but you can still hear the beat and my vocals. I think that for me is a stand out. I look forward to that part.”