Gin Wigmore nervously releases debut album

Auckland-born singer Gin Wigmore's debut album Holy Smoke was released on Monday. Photo / Norrie Montgomery

It's been a busy week for Gin Wigmore.

Her debut record Holy Smoke topped the iTunes album charts on Monday, the day of its New Zealand release.

The Auckland-born singer is nervous and excited about that glowing response.

She knows what is coming. There will be both praise and criticism and - as always - the focus will be on her unique voice.

Comparisons to Amy Winehouse and Duffy will flow, she knows.

And she knows that there is a strong desire to put her in a specific genre, even though she doesn't seem to fit into any.

But the tattooed blonde bombshell, now based in Sydney really doesn't mind, or so she'll tell you.

"I don't really give a f**k to be honest," she says.

"I get the whole Amy Winehouse and Duffy (comparisons) and that's cool because they're very successful, strong girls.

"I mean Amy Winehouse is ridiculously talented. If I'm even getting placed in that box, hey that's cool."

Comparisons will always be around. She's used to them.

"I compare as well, I think it's kind of human nature.

"I think we have a hard time when we can't place things. And I do the same thing, so I can't talk, otherwise I'd be a hypocrite.

"But I do get a little bit like 'Mmmm really? Do I really sound like that? Do I have to go in that box? I don't know if I'm stoked about that one'."

She knows her style is different and she's surprised and happy Holy Smoke has been met with a lot of praise.

"Music is such an opinionated thing it's like picking a boyfriend who you think is gorgeous - everyone else might go 'f***ing gross'.

"I can't worry. All I can do is keep making music to keep myself sane."

For that reason she doesn't read many reviews.

"I kind of think with every good one I read I'm sure there will probably be a bad one. I'm pretty pessimistic and I kind of take things so personally.

"It kind of depends what mood I'm in on the day, if I'm in a bit of a fragile mood, or it's that time of the month, you go 'oh f**k I'm gutted' but I've been lucky and I've had some great reviews."

Indeed. Since her EP Extended Play was released last year there has been much buzz about the 23-year-old.

Extended Play included the haunting yet celebratory track Hallelujah, written for her late father after he lost his battle with cancer.

Gin wrote it at 16 and it won her the America-based International Song Writing Competition in 2004.

She beat 11,000 songwriters from 77 countries to be named the youngest and only unsigned winner in the competition's history.

She says the song has taken on new meaning, since the release of Holy Smoke.

"When I wrote that I was really heartbroken trying to make it a perfect ode to my dad, whereas now I've kind of healed and I've grieved and it takes on a bit of a new meaning.

"It is touching when I play it, it gets such a huge response.

"I kind of think it's one of those songs that has just got some kind of power behind it and maybe that's dad coming down from the heavens going `oh, I might have a little play with the speakers on this one' who knows?"

Holy Smoke marks a new direction from the stripped down, gentle songs on Extended Play.

"It's kind of cool because I can explore musically so much because my voice is pretty crazy - there's one kind of common element to it all.

"At heart I'm kind of punk-driven. I like rock and roll. I like big loud drums and electric guitars and that's really where my heart lies, so it was cool to be able to bring that all to life (on Holy Smoke)."

She's excited about bringing Holy Smoke to New Zealand audiences. She's barely been spotted at home since signing with Universal Motown Records USA in August last year.

She has one show in Auckland with her band The Cardinals - of American alt-country singer Ryan Adams fame - next month, a show she's looking forward to considerably more than her Big Day Out debut in January.

"I'm actually not a big festival fan. I really like intimate shows.

"I like when I can be in the dark sipping my red wine and be able to look my fans in the eye, and have them an arms-length away."

She promises that next year she will do a "full" New Zealand tour.

Until then her focus is on facing the expectations of being labelled the next big thing.

"I'm just stoked that I can bring my thoughts and ideas as music into this world, and people actually like it."

- NZPA