The Pieces Falling Into Place

Ask a scientist to discover and they will experiment. They will spend years and years going through the same type of equations, playing with different figures and statistics to get to a concrete, final result. Ask a stonemason to build a cathedral and they’ll spend decades laying brick after brick. Ask a true artist to feel and they’ll create something truly wonderful through the simplicity of language and raw emotion.

Photographer Lula Cucchiara Stylist Helen Young-Loveridge Hair & Makeup Lara Daly

Auckland-based singer and songwriter, Phoebe Jasper, AKA Navvy, is one of those artists who can create just that. Influenced by music at a young age, Phoebe grew up in a household that didn’t contain a lot of modern music. Instead, her home was warm with the sound of opera. Phoebe used that precious influence as a way to tap into her own unique style, getting involved in performing and musical theatre. After studying songwriting and performance at university, Navvy started working as hard as a stonemason on her own lyrics, gaining priceless experience playing with Kiwi singer Thomston and later with the group Paprika Jones.

In 2019, she released her debut EP, The Breakup, that included much loved singles like Subliminal and If I Can’t Have You. Her No Hard Feelings EP came out earlier this year to splendid reception. UK music magazine, Clash, labelled the single Subliminal, as being a “potent introduction” and “a divine mini-epic”. Navvy is a musician that we have to watch out for in the future. We got the opportunity to sit down with Navvy and talk to her on music, creativity and her latest single, Pieces.

What sparked your passion for music?

I think most kids have a real love for music, but I guess the thing that kept that flame ignited for me was the friends I made through doing music as a kid. That flame grew into other things, like my love for people, and my want to help as many people as I can, and music is a really amazing way to do that.

What is your creative process?

It changes drastically from project to project. Most of the time, the process begins with a real life event and then my imagination runs with it.

I like to have an idea of what I want to say before I go into a session, because I think for me, that’s the easiest way to make sure the final product is something I really believe in. But I am a huge fan of collaboration.

The Break Up EP was released last year. How was it turning your personal experiences into raw, honest lyrics?

I think more often than not, people assume this was the most difficult part of that process, but actually, it was the easiest. It’s so exciting for me when I think about listening back in 10, 20, 30 years, and being taken straight back to that time, and it’s all in the detail.

It has also been so fun to get messages from people from all over who find their own story in the details of mine. It definitely takes away the loneliness of it all.

What were the inspirations behind your latest EP, No Hard Feelings, which came out earlier this year?

The No Hard Feelings EP really stemmed from a place of settling into contentment. I’d been through the slightly-dramatic, very thorough dredging of what had happened with me and a boy, and I had realised that after everything, he’s still the person I love. I think for me, it feels like, after having so many amazing memories with someone, it feels wild to just throw that all out of my memory because of one mistake.

What was your favorite song to record?

So far, my favourite song to record has been If I Can’t Have You. We recorded the whole thing on the day Josh Naley, Brayden Jeffrey and I wrote it, and none of the lyrics or anything changed.

While we were tracking the vocal, it was the height of summer in my home studio that is not soundproofed, and there was this choir of really loud cicadas that you could hear the whole time. We decided not to rerecord it, and that’s now one of my favourite parts of that EP.

A special shoutout to Mad At You with Rory Adams and Sam de Jong because yelling “Mad at, mad at, mad at, mad at YOU” was terribly fun, as was the entire day.

You’ve just released your latest single Pieces, what was the inspiration for this song?

When I walked into the room with Starsmith and Rory Adams, I remember exhaling really deeply and talking about how, even after being shattered into thousands of pieces by a boy, and thinking I would never be able to possibly find them all, I had finally picked them up one by one, and put myself back together. So we wrote about that.

We also talk about how I was so deep into this relationship, I had pictured our whole wedding down to the last detail, which just absolutely describes me as a person, and makes me laugh a bit. But the song, at its essence, is about finally feeling okay again.

You split your time between Auckland and London, what differences do you find between the music scenes in each city?

I think the size is the biggest difference. In London, it feels like I could work with a different person everyday for weeks, which is not something I have personally found in a much smaller city.

I think the most shocking thing, though, is how similar they are. The scenes are incredibly warm and welcoming, and to me, it feels like everyone just wants each other to succeed, and it’s super exciting when people do.

Who are your biggest musical inspirations?

A few people for a few reasons. It seems like every time I hear a Julia Michaels song I wish I had written it. Lennon Stella has a voice that I just want to trust and have guide me through life.

Taylor Swift has had an experience in the industry like no other, but just the way she carries herself and rises up every time is incredible to me.

What’s your favorite album of all time?

I am going to have to choose three. Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys is potentially a perfect album. I could say the same for Speak Now by Taylor Swift and Carrie and Lowell by Sufjan Stevens. No skips.

How have you spent your time during lockdown?

I have been spending a lot of time with my parents, which has been an absolute dream. I travel a lot, so to have time to dedicate to just sitting and watching TV with my Dad, or baking something with my Mum, has been a real blessing.

Other than that I have done some writing, and have been making some plans for my next single release! I also walked and listened to a different album every day, which I can not recommend enough.