Neo-Soul Jazz Artist Averie makes her entrancing debut with vibrant single ‘just before you go’
Averie is the Aotearoa music scene’s new-girl-on-the-block, and a fresh and entrancing new sound is set to announce itself with her emergence. Averie is a 22-year-old Filipino-Kiwi artist from Wellington, set to make her debut this April with her first ever single just before you go, funded by New Zealand On Air. Heavily inspired by the UK’s vibrant alternative jazz scene, including the likes of RAYE, Eloise, and Cleo Sol, Averie showcases all sides of her diverse musical ability in this new single.
After experimenting with her artistry through her part as the lead singer and writer of popular Wellington-based duo girl band Girl Best Friend from 2022-2023, Averie decided to pursue music as a solo artist to best make use of her skill as a multi-instrumentalist, passionate writer, and producer, as seen through her videos that have gained traction on social media. Soon after venturing out alone, Averie was granted funding from New Zealand On Air for just before you go. Her strong and carefully crafted debut, alongside its accompanying funded music video, represents the start of a quality discography to come, and Averie as undoubtedly one-to-watch.
Sun-kissed and jazz-tinged, just before you go features a tight bassline, latin-inspired percussion, a playful scat section, and layers of rich and complex vocal harmonies. This flowery yet groovy track captures both the sweetness and depth of a long-term relationship, and was produced with Poneke’s own Casual Healing (Nikau Te Huki). The track opens with intimate lyrics that detail the simple and sensual delights of being with a partner, then move to illustrate a progression from infatuation to a deeper sense of connection, captured in the second verse through the idea of craving one’s touch but appreciating their love more. Lyrical and sonic references to bossa nova woven throughout lend themselves to the song’s undeniable romanticism, and simultaneously echo the recent mini-resurgence and popularisation of the genre by contemporary artists such as Laufey and Beabadoobee.
The single’s flirtatious music video directed by Auckland’s Jackson Doudney is set to drop on 10th May. The video tells the story of a quirky yet cinematic romance set against the backdrop of everyday charm of a relationship with its pining to be something more worthy of a daydream.
While Averie debuts with a distinct sound, listeners should anticipate an exciting exploration of genre in the future as she continues to develop her style by delving into the musical palettes of genres like hip-hop, house, and alternative r&b. just before you go, foreshadows Averie’s career as an artist whose image and sound will soon find itself as a household name for Aotearoa.
