21 Feb 2018

Teeks: heart and so much soul

From Nine To Noon, 10:08 am on 21 February 2018

Northland singer-songwriter, Te Karehana Gardiner-Toi, AKA Teeks, is fast gaining an audience for his smooth, almost old school soulful singing and songs.

Teeks

Teeks Photo: Supplied

After winning the Emerging Artist Award at the Waiata Māori Music Awards in 2015, the 24 year old went to New York to record his debut EP, The Grapefruit Skies.

One of the tracks from that EP, 'If Only', made the final top 20 of the APRA Silver Scroll Awards.

Teeks won Best Māori Artist at at the Vodafone NZ Music Awards in 2017 - he'd also been nominated for Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Best Soul/R'n'B Artist.

Now he's about to showcase his songs - as well as the tunes that have shaped his musical palette - on Saturday as part of the New Zealand Festival.

Teeks grew up in a musical family. His grandfather who was in Māori showbands, gave him his first guitar and Teeks was introduced to soul music from the 60s and 70s.

One of his influences is the late Donny Hathaway

“It’s the conviction in their voice and how they sing their songs … they mean what they say and the quality of the voice is just incredible.”

Teeks now has two international booking agents and hopes to take his music to the world.

“All I want to do is keep writing songs and keep singing in whatever capacity that may be. I want to travel the world and share my music with as many people as I can.”

More on TEEKS:

  • The Sampler: The Grapefruit Skies by Teeks
  • Live Session: Teeks
  • Teeks appears on Saturday 24 February as part of the New Zealand Festival. You can also catch him at the Auckland Arts Festival on Sunday 11 March.