Bic Runga: Kiwi musician chats the Greenstone Summer Concert Tour, career, new music

Bic Runga is one of New Zealand’s iconic performers – dazzling audiences since the release of her first single in 1996.  

She went on to reach international fame, as well as winning the most New Zealand Music Awards by an individual ever.  

Runga is currently on the road as part of the Greenstone Summer Concert Tour, performing alongside Cold Chisel, Icehouse, and Everclear. 

The first show of the tour was this past weekend in Queenstown, and Runga told Ryan Bridge that she’s having ‘such a good time’ on the road. 

“It was really cool to meet these guys on the road,” she said of the other performers. 

“They’re all legends and, y'know, they’re all lovely.” 

Runga has brought her family along on this tour, and she says that it’s definitely a military operation trying to keep everyone organised. 

“I’m trying to get on stage and someone’s asking me where their sock is.” 

“It’s cool to have them, but there’s... it’s just an extra layer of stuff to, y'know, find and wash,” Runga told Bridge with a laugh. 

Most people stream music nowadays, but despite having close to half a million monthly streams on Spotify, Runga says that it’s not the main way artists make their money. 

“Streaming is a bit stacked up against you,” she said. 

“It has been harder and harder for musicians to make money out of things like that, but, y'know, I guess that’s why we tour." 

“You have to really love doing it, y’know, I still do it because it’s super fun and I can’t do anything else.” 

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