Mum-to-be Brooke Fraser back in NZ

Brooke Fraser. Photo / Supplied

Bespoke tour outfits will be auctioned for Starship, writes Paula Yeoman

Just weeks out from her three New Zealand shows Brooke Fraser is at home in Los Angeles, where she's just returned having toured her latest record Brutal Romantic throughout North America, Australia, Asia and Europe.

All up, she's played more than 30 shows since January, which isn't an overly arduous schedule for a seasoned performer like Fraser. Except on this tour, the singer-songwriter is pregnant and by the time she has the baby, she will have been on the road throughout all three trimesters.

"It's certainly added a different dimension of challenge," she says, of dealing with daily flights and time zones, particularly on the European leg of the tour. "But you've got to keep it professional. When I'm on stage I don't let anyone know if I'm not feeling 100 per cent. At the same time, it's quite empowering. You realise how tough you are and how much you really can handle."

Now, with the rest of the world out of the way, Fraser has the familiarity of shows in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland to look forward to. She's also found a solution to the problem of what to wear on stage.

"I was kind of freaking out a little bit about these shows because I'll be very far along. So I had the idea of approaching a few New Zealand fashion designers to see if they would design me some custom outfits for the tour, which we could then auction off afterwards for maternal health."

Juliette Hogan, Stolen Girlfriends Club and Zambesi loved the idea and proceeds will go to Starship's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Fraser also hopes the shows go some way to making up to fans left disappointed when she cancelled an extensive tour earlier this year due to scheduling issues.

"I dread when those decisions have to be made and the last thing I want to do is to let people down, especially in New Zealand. It was pretty gutting, but we were really determined to come back and still tour as soon as we could. Obviously the pregnancy did mean we had to reduce the number of dates but I'm really confident I'll give people a special show."

For those who love the new electronic direction of Brutal Romantic that means a fresh sound and a style of performance Fraser has not yet revealed in New Zealand. But she wants to keep long-time fans happy too by revisiting some much-loved older tunes.

After all, she says, "They're the ones who have enabled me to evolve and create this new sound to begin with."

Brooke Fraser is at the Theatre Royal in Christchurch on June 24, Opera House in Wellington on June 26 and Holy Trinity Cathedral in Auckland on June 27.