Dismantling the ‘Boys Club’, one banger at a time

Fluorescent alt-pop that bulldozes social injustices? No other artist out there can do Theia, like Theia.

Bursting onto the scene in 2015, the New Zealand-born songwriter has been using her talent for crafting vivid sound in order to inject club music with a much-needed social conscience. Her latest single “Frat Boyz” is another incredible addition to this assignment.

“Frat Boyz” doesn’t deliver anything you would expect. A sonic collage with a bass that will rattle your bones, nursery rhyme-esque bridges and powerful lyricism that elevates the track beyond its genre. All crafted to protest the ongoing misogyny and sexism that plagues society.

“[The single] is a track about the ever present 'boys club' and fighting against that to be heard. It's sassy and sarcastic and is a juxtaposition of dark and light,” Theia reminisces about the project.

“There's a bunch of sounds we used, like distortion, industrial samples and cheetah growls. I wanted it to be a gay club anthem mixed with a riot grrrl shout so you could both vogue to it and scream. It's sweet, haunting and filled with fury. It imitates my frustration with 'the establishment' and the confidence I feel going forward for our generation to change the system and challenge the powers that be.”

Theia creates a soundscape bleeding with clanging hooks, electronic flares and kaleidoscopic circuits of sonic, that are like nothing you’ve heard before. This masterclass of experimental production is matched with the stirring repetition of her lyrics, “I am the new era.”

“My purpose as an artist is to evoke emotion. I think the best art to exist is provocative and if people love or hate what it represents, the creator has done their job! I write about what I know and how I feel at the time. It's super unfiltered and raw.”

“It's been crazy seeing how contentious my recent releases “Frat Boyz” and “Not Your Princess” have been to a few people. They've surprisingly been very triggering and have forced their opinions aboveground, challenging some unpopular views. I am learning not to let some of these hurt me because the positive responses outweigh the negative.”

Navigating the intersection of the alternative and the mainstream, Theia’s avante-pop celebration of empowerment is a refreshing change of pace in the increasingly over-saturated gallery of pop. So far she’s played gigs across the globe, opened for the likes of Sia, Tones And I and Broods, with her NOT YOUR PRINCESS EP receiving two nominations in the 2019 Waiata Māori Music Awards.

“I call my style alt-pop, which essentially means it has the hooks of a pop song mixed with more alternative, experimental, left of centre elements of production and lyrics. My creative process starts with either a melody, lyric or prod idea which I then go into the studio with and flesh out. On my new project, 99% ANGEL, I had a font and theme in mind for some of the songs and then made the soundscape.”

“I'm inspired by artists who don't give an F about others opinions and push the boundaries on what's cool or popular. When I was at school, my favourite artists were Britney, Gaga, Amy (Winehouse) and Rihanna. My faves now are still those trailblazers but also acts like Grimes, Björk, Fiona Apple, Stevie Nicks, Natalia Kills and SOPHIE. Pretty much if you're weird - I like you, because I'm weird and have always been on the fringes.”

Theia’s love for music grew from an early age, with her childhood stories and poems growing into lyrics, and then into fully realised songs. “I had a notebook beside my bed and put my feelings into the pages when I was feeling emotional, or wanted to process something that I couldn't verbalise to anyone,” Theia remembers.

“When I was 13 I entered the school talent show and did a lipsync to Atomic Kitten. I'd gone over to a friend's and studied every move from the music video and imagined what it would be like to get to do that for a living. So I suppose from then I started to realise that it was definitely possible and it fuelled me through school till I started working towards making it a reality when I graduated.”

It is her undeniable musical dynamism, energy and ethos that will continue to take her to new heights. Where there has been room for originality and heart within the pop scene, Theia has come through with vengeance. A commitment to unapologetically painting her passions through her art truly makes her one to watch out for.

“I think there can always be progression and changes to the music scene, especially the inclusion of more femxle identifying, LGBTQIA+, non-white and indigenous acts and acts with disabilities in lineups. There's a really fab Insta page called @lineupswithoutmales and it highlights the lack of representation on New Zealand and Australian festival bills with some posters having only 20% of artists featuring one non male member. Also an emphasis on including more non-dude managers, techs, engineers and producers.”

“Idiosyncrasy to me means knowing who I am and pushing into what makes me unique, which is my love for the edgy and making something new. That's how I went into Frat Boyz and it's definitely reflected in the fact that we had the draft with all the melodies in place in under two hours, it flowed so quickly and the energy was intense and joyous. I think you can really feel that.”

Frat Boyz is out now on all streaming platforms

Instagram: @theiaofficialxo

Twitter: @theiaofficialxo