Live Nation and Vodafone New Zealand have announced their latest ONES TO WATCH featured artist, Auckland based songstress Paige. ONES TO WATCH New Zealand continues throughout 2021 after launching in late 2020 as a platform for Kiwi music fans to discover up and coming musicians. Paige is the second of twelve handpicked artists that will be highlighted over the course of 2021, and the fourth since the New Zealand program began.
Paige has been a singer since an early age, picking the guitar up at age nine and crediting Disney Channel characters like Lizzie McGuire as the inspiration to share covers on her YouTube channel ‘Paige’s Space’. From there she developed a solid fan base with thousands of views, even attracting the support of indie darling Billie Eilish, who shared her original song ‘Alignments’ on Instagram in 2016.
Paige erupted onto the local music scene with her debut single Bloom in 2019, securing her regular spots at a slate of Kiwi festivals, and playing in front of massive crowds while opening for New Zealand bands Drax Project and Six60.
Her second EP Always Growing was released in 2020 to glowing reviews, with Under the Radar calling it “a picture perfect example of coming-of-age pop“. The EP’s leading single Waves has reached over 2.1 million streams since its debut.
On Paige’s growing success, Mark Kneebone, Managing Director of Live Nation New Zealand, says: “Paige is undoubtedly one of NZ’s bright young pop acts. Her song writing ability is evident in her releases, and it’s exciting to see her growth on the festival circuit. We’re looking forward to seeing where she goes.”
Paige joins an impressive line-up of acts featured in ONES TO WATCH globally, which launched in the United States in 2017, including Halsey and Dua Lipa. Paige follows surf-rock band Park Rd, Wellington indie-pop sensation RIIKI and Auckland-based electronic duo Imugi.
Vodafone New Zealand are proud to support emerging local artists, with Vodafone Chief Consumer Officer Carolyn Luey expressing her excitement for the program: “We are thrilled to continue our support for up-and-coming artists like Paige through the ONES TO WATCH platform. Paige is an incredible young talent and we’re looking forward to seeing her success continue.”
After launching an exclusive long-term partnership in 2019, Live Nation Australasia and Vodafone New Zealand have provided Vodafone customers access to Live Nation’s entertainment portfolio including music, family and comedy tours and festivals across the country. The strategic multi-year partnership is committed to bringing the best live experiences to New Zealand and the best New Zealand artists to the world. The unique emerging talent platform of ONES TO WATCH builds on this strong partnership and a mutual dedication to support grassroots initiatives.
As well as access to the online platform, Vodafone customers will be given the chance to win tickets to the ONES TO WATCH invitation-only quarterly showcase events. More info and competition details available at: vodafonerewards.co.nz