Born and raised in Auckland, Navvy arrived at pop music while studying at university. With a childhood background in classical and musical theatre, it wasn’t a direction she’d ever really expected to head down, but once she stepped outside of her comfort zone, it was transformational.
With joyful melodies, compelling rhythms, and heartfelt declarations, Navvy’s music is a sophisticated-yet-expressive take on synth-pop and vocal electronica. Recalling the emotional art-pop of La Roux and Robyn, her songs capture the red-hot intensity of feelings as they hit in the moment, and the clear-eyed reflection and contemplation of pink sunsets on summer evenings.
Working with long term collaborator Wells* alongside Starsmith (Jess Glynne, Ellie Goulding), Sam de Jong (Lennon Stella, Maisie Peters), Alex Wildwood and Martin Sjølie (Sigrid, Aurora), Navvy’s invites her rapidly swelling fanbase to join her on a journey down the uneven road to emotional independence. Were she finalising a conventional album tracklisting today some of the more raw moments on the first EP might be jettisoned in favour of more upbeat songs in the vein of her most recent work; instead, her next EP is a document of her experiences and is unfiltered and unmediated: an almost real-time account of the collapse of Navvy’s first and only relationship, then the aftermath, then the strength she found to pull her life back together. The sounds are complemented by videos, artwork and a fully-formed visual identity all of which, just like the music, comes from the mind of this thoroughly hands-on, fiercely independent new artist.
