Paige Tapara: Kiwi singer-songwriter on her success, making music, and new EP 'paigesspace'

Five years after the release of her debut EP ‘Always Growing’, Paige Tapara’s music has taken her around the world. 

She’s a big deal in Korea —‘Always Growing’ having gone Platinum there— and has just returned from performing her first headline show in Seoul, South Korea. 

Her fame in Asia came as a little bit of a surprise, she confessed, as she, somewhat naively, thought music that wasn’t K-pop wasn’t popular.  

“I’ve noticed that they like a bit of pop with a hint of soul/R&B, like neo-soul, and I guess because my music is that, it kind of works over there,” Tapara told Mike Hosking. 

But there’s a big difference between streaming success and performing live concerts, she said. 

“You can do streaming numbers, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to live, but it was cool that people came.” 

“Being an artist is rewarding, but it’s also, there’s moments where it’s soul crushing as well,” Tapara told Hosking. 

“I think going to Asia, ‘cause I went to Asia in 2023 as well, I think that felt really validating to me, kind of being like, oh, people really like the music.” 

“It feels like it’s worth it.”  

Stylistically, Tapara’s work hasn’t changed much in the last few years, still favouring a groovy R&B flavoured pop sound, but as she’s grown and aged, the content of her music has changed.  

“My first EP ‘Always Growing’ was about kind of my early to late teen years, and now I’m near, like I’m heading towards 30,” she said. 

“So I’m kind of experiencing more real-life stuff, so I think that’s really affected the songwriting.”  

Her new EP, 'Paigesspace' was released last week. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Five years after the debut EP came out. Paige Tarpeta's
music has but while it's taken all around the world.
We first first caught up with her in twenty twenty one.
Since then there have been three studio projects. She's a
big deal these days in Korea. Debut EP always growing,
that's gone platinum. She's actually just come back from South Korea,
having performed her first ever Asia headline show in Seoul.

(00:20):
Her new p EP, which was out Friday. Page's Space,
which I quite like. Nice to see you.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Good to see it?

Speaker 1 (00:27):
Pages space as your handle onial on social media. Yeah,
so it sounds good. I watched your video yesterday. You're
in Japan. I'll get to Korea in just a moment.
Do you like Japan?

Speaker 2 (00:39):
I love Japan. Have you been to Japan?

Speaker 1 (00:41):
I have been to it, And do you like it?
I love it.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
I can't imagine people not liking it.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
It's a very good way of putting it. People are polite,
it's well organized, it's buzzy and vibey in terms of
people in size and all that sort of stuff. I
just adore it.

Speaker 2 (00:55):
Yeah, I think because there's so many people that have
to be mindful of each other and I really love that.
But then Korea has a lot of people, but they
don't have that same.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
No, you know, you've got hot in Korea? What's going
on in here?

Speaker 2 (01:07):
Because I'm morson No, I don't know, because I'm great
mic No, I don't know. I think, like I, I
didn't know that music that wasn't K pop was popular
in Korea. But that's a bit naive of me. But
I've noticed that they like a bit of pop with
a hint of soul slash R and B, like neo soul,

(01:30):
and I guess because my music is that it kind
of works over there. But online there were some people
that covered one of my songs too Much to Hate,
like five years ago, and then it kind of just
started moving and then you know, tried to light the spark.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
And how was the show and the headline act and
you're loving it, loving you?

Speaker 3 (01:50):
Yeah, it was.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
It was great. I think it's it's so hard when
you're so far away and you don't know if people
are going to show up or whatever. Because streaming numbers,
you know, you can do streaming numbers, but that doesn't
necessarily translate to life. No, But it was cool that
people came, I.

Speaker 1 (02:07):
Was like, oh, yeah, fantastic, So you'll be back.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
Yeah, yeah, I really want to go back.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
Do you how just taught me through the journey since
you were here in twenty twenty one. So the last
four years, how's it been clearly successful? Plings are going well?

Speaker 2 (02:19):
Yeah, I mean it's been. I mean being an artist
is rewarding, but it's also there's moments where it's soul
crushing as well. I think going to Asia, because I
went to Asia in twenty twenty three as well, I
think that felt really validating to me, kind of being like, oh,

(02:40):
people really like the music. That's great, Like you know,
there's something it feels like it's worth it good.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
Yeah. And creatively speaking, are you changing in the last
four years the way you're write before, the type of music?

Speaker 4 (02:55):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (02:55):
I guess yeah, I think yeah. I think it with
life experience growing. I guess my first EP Always Growing
was about kind of my early to late teen years,
and now I'm near like I'm hitting towards thirty, so
I'm kind of experiencing more real life stuff, So I

(03:17):
think that's really affected the songwriting. Stylistically, I think I've
stayed the same. I'd like to explore more R and
B type sounds. So it's kind of what I'm hitting towards.

Speaker 1 (03:29):
How does that work? Creatively speaking, You're allowed to do
whatever you want to do in terms of record labels
and pressure and all that sort of stuff.

Speaker 4 (03:35):
You just be you.

Speaker 2 (03:36):
Yeah, yeah, I get like, I get a lot of
support in terms of I think they kind of help
ground me. They kind of I'm quite chaotic, so I
think about I want to do a million genres in
one album, which is what I did in my album
that came out in twenty twenty three, and they were
kind of like, you don't need to do that, you know,

(03:58):
And I was like, yeah, you're true. Like they kind
of helped me put things into perspective a little bit.

Speaker 1 (04:04):
Because the difficulty from their point of view is because
you don't strike me as a person's got a huge ego.
So but but you know, well, well a lot of
people you know in the music industry got an ego,
and you got to tread carefully, you know, I want
to say something that creatively is going to send them
off into a mad fury, do you. But it's good.
It's good to get a bit of advice. The Jonas
Brothers thing I can't get my head around. So so

(04:27):
you performed with them, right?

Speaker 2 (04:28):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (04:29):
So how did that come about?

Speaker 2 (04:31):
I I was just I bought tickets. The day that
I bought tickets, I was like, oh, man, I would
love to sing with them, just because I I'm a
big camp rock Disney Channel girl.

Speaker 1 (04:42):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (04:43):
So I started posting online being like I want to
sing with the Jonah's brothers, Like here's me singing my song.
And I didn't think that they would say it. The
first video they saw, they commented, but they didn't really
give me anything, and I was like, Okay, I'll keep
trying because it was quite fun. It was fun for
everyone to watch that little Yeah Sigma.

Speaker 1 (05:01):
Because by way, background, that's sort of how you started,
wasn't it used to do covers and stick them out
on social media?

Speaker 2 (05:06):
Yeah yeah, yeah, And I've done a lot of Jonas
Brothers stuff before that, so it felt like a bit
of a oh, let me just see what happens kind
of thing. And I think also it's good training, like
mental wires, because as an artist it's so hard to
put yourself out there online and potentially embarrass yourself. So
it felt like good practice.

Speaker 1 (05:27):
Yeah, but anyway, but next thing you know, you're standing
there with them.

Speaker 2 (05:31):
Yeah, and how good?

Speaker 1 (05:32):
Well was it everything you wanted and thought it was?

Speaker 2 (05:36):
I think like doing music, I just want to do
it because it's so fun. And that was something where
I was like, you know, why not just go all
in and just enjoy.

Speaker 1 (05:47):
I reckon that's an age thing. Yeah, I think it is. Yeah,
I think that because we all wanted to sing with
our musical heroes.

Speaker 2 (05:54):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (05:54):
Yeah, but one you've got the social media, so you've
got the access to be able to do it until
you come or you've grown up in an age where
I think, you, what the hell, why wouldn't I do it?
Whereas once upon a time you look you, no one
would think of doing that. So good on you. So
it's a winner. What are you going to play for
us after the break?

Speaker 2 (06:11):
I'm going to play a song that I put out
last Friday, Why do We Want to be in Love?

Speaker 1 (06:16):
It's barely old. It's a couple of days old. More
from page is it Paige still or Page tothers? It
was just just.

Speaker 2 (06:25):
Page Whatever you want, Mike, it's up to you.

Speaker 1 (06:28):
More from page Shortly Page of Space was out on Friday.
This is the new EP. This is this the single?
Do you call it a single anymore?

Speaker 2 (06:37):
Or it's just well, it's all singles. They all came
out of singles and then it's like, let's call it
an EP. So yeah, hit me with it. This is
why do we want to be in love?

Speaker 4 (07:02):
Trying to be patient in my heart? It threw us
a little more largic, called it it be fun.

Speaker 2 (07:12):
This isn't versed.

Speaker 4 (07:13):
They flowers and vets.

Speaker 3 (07:16):
The good feelings on all.

Speaker 4 (07:18):
Please reciprocated your love Kai the socks.

Speaker 3 (07:26):
It hits you, then it runs so white awek white
dowiek you wanna be wanna be him?

Speaker 4 (07:39):
We had summer, love had soda popping Soma was up
in the West apartments, so hot that we'd have to
block it with old tea shirts and cuts the carpet
loved you too, them outen them back again. You even
me It wasn't part of the plan. I guess love

(08:01):
kind the sucks.

Speaker 3 (08:04):
It hits you, then it runs yeah, so why doek
why dowek? You wanna be wanna be in love?

Speaker 2 (08:16):
Yay?

Speaker 4 (08:18):
Yeah, it's not that fun. It hits you like a
but yeah, so why do you why dowek.

Speaker 3 (08:30):
You wanna be?

Speaker 2 (08:31):
Wanna be in lone.

Speaker 4 (08:36):
Say love is patient, It's just complicated, feel so updated.
No good to me?

Speaker 3 (08:45):
Yay, I don't wanna be. I don't wanna be in love?

Speaker 4 (08:54):
Left and empty spaces all pollimated, no sign all.

Speaker 3 (09:00):
I have to come rescue me.

Speaker 4 (09:03):
Yeah, why do we.

Speaker 3 (09:08):
Want to be?

Speaker 4 (09:13):
Way?

Speaker 3 (09:14):
Way do we wanna be?

Speaker 2 (09:17):
Wanna be?

Speaker 1 (09:22):
That's beautiful, Thank you. It was good on the video too.
I think it's a bit of here so for we
recorded that one so it could be a smash it
twice over. Yeah, please come on now listen. You have
a lovely holiday season, the Christmas and all that sort
of stuff. Lovely to see you again. Nice to see
your page.

Speaker 2 (09:38):
For more from the mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to
news talks.

Speaker 1 (09:41):
It'd be from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.