August 2025 saw the independent release of ‘Pikipiki,’ the triumphantly joyous debut album from Waiheke-based singer-songwriter/producer Geneva AM (Alexander-Marsters). Continuing in the reo Māori/electronic fusion vein of Geneva’s work with previous outfit Soccer Practice, ‘Pikipiki’ was met with rave reviews. April 2026 sees the album and artist among the finalists for two awards at this year’s Taite Music Prize event. She talked with Nur Peach.

If Geneva AM’s Substack newsletter is any indication, she’s having the time of her life. “What the helly? I love my life!” reads the title of one email. Off the back of the highly successful debut album release and several high profile festival appearances, she says she couldn’t have predicted the impact of ‘Pikipiki.’

“I guess when you’re in the middle of it, you don’t really know until you end up getting double nominated for a Taite! I am constantly surprised by how impactful it is to people. It’s kind of taken a life of its own in a way where I’ve just organically kind of gained new listeners every single time I’ve played live. A lot of people have come up to me and said that they’ve cried – which is not the intention at all!”

Geneva is shortlisted for both the Taite Music Prize (one of 10 finalists) and the same event’s Auckland Live Best Independent Debut (three finalists), an achievement which surprised her.

“I put myself up for both of them, thinking, ‘It’s my first time, and you only ever debut once!’ So I was kind of hoping to get just one – which would be the independent debut. Then I got finalised for the Taite, which was a really cool discovery.

“You believe in yourself and you stand by your work, but you also kind of think, maybe this year isn’t my year because I’ve only just begun, and there are so many very experienced and talented musicians who are also finalised for that prize.

“I was just really happy to be amongst them and there are a lot of people who were on the long list who didn’t make it, who were also just as deserving. The other independent debut nominees, Bub and Babe Martin, are my friends, so it’s nice to be considered amongst them as well.”

She may have not expected double-dip success, but when asked why she thinks ‘Pikipiki’ was selected as a Taite finalist, Geneva answers confidently.

“Because it’s good. It’s earnest and honest and genuine, and it talks to as many aspects of our musical history as possible. It also talks a lot about positivity and joy in amongst all the sad stuff, because the past decade has been pretty crazy.

“I just really needed to create something for myself to feel better. That’s why I called it ‘Pikipiki,’ ’cos it means to ascend over obstacles, and to move through these low moments.”

Released in August 2025, the politically alert 10-track is also musically diverse. While the main influences are dance music and waiata Māori, emo rock and orchestral (the Ngā Whetu Ensemble) also make appearances, in tracks including her reimagined version of the classic Māori love song Pokarekare Ana and the rousing string backing of Toitū te Tiriti.

“I tried to fit a lot of references in there, to the days where I was a little indie kid growing up in Auckland, and hanging out with the emos in Myers Park, so I did a Pokarekare Ana cover that’s got an emo treatment. And classical music – when I was eight I made this little book about Beethoven because I really loved Fur Elise! I really liked the piano and I thought, ‘I’m gonna be a concert pianist’. And then I found out that you have to use all of your fingers and I was like, ‘Whoa, why would you do that?’ But I actually use a lot of keyboards in my beats that I make on my computer. I like synthesizers, and just playing around with keys and different tones.”

Another influence is children’s music, which she credits to having a four-year old son.

“I did listen to a lot of kids’ music, because my child would get obsessed with a particular song and play it over and over again. So, in some ways, I feel like that playability has also seeped its way into the album, which is cool, but totally unintended as well!”

Geneva is part of a wave of Māori artists who are taking the industry (and the Taites) by storm. With last year’s honours going to Mokotron (the Taite Prize) and Byllie-Jean (Best Independent Debut), Geneva feels she is in good company.

“It’s definitely changed a lot in the last decade. A lot of us who are from the kohanga reo generation have grown up now, so we’re in every single facet of every single industry. The needle’s shifted, and I’m part of that shift, but I’m not necessarily an innovator in that sense.

“Hinewehi Mohi sang the national anthem in 2000 in Māori and got booed out of the stadium for it, and now she is one of the most celebrated artists ever. I’m just part of a long legacy of trailblazers who fought for our right as children to have a Māori education, and to also experience Māori media.

“In my mind, there is no other alternative, but in the not too distant past it was very whitewashed, and it was really only catering to a certain type of genre. There’s been a lot of work done for someone like myself to even be considered in the same realm as all of these artists and I don’t really take that for granted, because I’ve seen how hard everyone’s worked and how many people have been ignored by the industry.

“Whatever happens on the night I know that I’ve been acknowledged, and I feel so lucky and privileged to have been considered amongst all of these incredible musicians.”

And it’s a good thing too, because ‘Pikipiki’ is imbued with the positive energy central to Geneva’s ethos.

“I wanted to take accountability for the listeners because I’ve definitely written sad songs before, and guess what? If you make sad songs, stuff gets sad, and people feel sad, and it’s not great – so I always tried to put a positive spin on these songs.

“Obviously we have our dark days, but it doesn’t have to be dark all the time. Joy is an act of resistance in itself. The things that you enjoy are sacred, and you should feel good. It’s your right to feel good. That’s the idea behind the album.”