Teeks - born Te Karehana Gardiner-Toi - is this week's guest on Straight Up. Photo / Supplied
Teeks - born Te Karehana Gardiner-Toi - is this week's guest on Straight Up. Photo / Supplied
He is one of the New Zealand music industry's rising stars, who has already been compared to Adele and signed up with Beyonce's publicist – just don't try to put him in one box.
Teeks – the stage name of Te Karehana Gardiner-Toi – has fast become one of the country's hottest musical exports, winning numerous awards in New Zealand and garnering attention in Europe and South Africa.
In a wide-ranging chat with Niva Retimanu and Beatrice Faumuina on the Herald's Straight Up podcast, Teeks opened up about his sex symbol status, his upbringing and its influence on his music, learning te reo, and reflected on his most personal and memorable performances.
The stage is where Teeks said he feels most alive, and being in front of people helps him focus and be present.
"I feel like every time I walk on stage I feel like a different person. You put on your work clothes. I don't know how to explain it, but performing on stage in front of people and sharing the energy together in those moments, it's the best feeling.
"In real life, I feel like I'm a bit of a dork and I'm a bit awkward some times, but on stage, that all disappears and I'm just in my zone, in my flow state. I love it so much."
In the five years since his debut EP, "The Grapefruit Skies", was released, Teeks has been a recurring presence at the Aotearoa Music Awards – picking up Best Māori Artist in 2017, before claiming that prize again in 2021 alongside Best Solo Artist and Best Soul / RnB Artist for his album, "Something to Feel".
Teeks talks to Straight Up about his duet of "Whakaaria Mai" with Hollie Smith, which they performed at a remembrance service on the first anniversary of the Christchurch mosque attacks. Photo / Getty Images
Teeks said he is always grateful to be acknowledged, but he doesn't do music for the awards. And he said he is not fully comfortable about winning the Māori Artist prize.
"I'm Māori first and foremost, but I also don't like to be put in a box. It irritates me a little bit for people to try and simplify you in any capacity because it kind of limits you into this one thing.
"I understand why that award is there, as we have an obligation to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi, but I want to win Best Album," he told Straight Up. "I know I'm Māori, I already know that, I don't need an award to tell me."
On the comparisons to Adele, Teeks said he would love to collaborate with her one day, as well as US RnB singer Frank Ocean.
"I'm a big fan of his music and his art. He stays in the shadows and I like that about him. His mind is just incredible. I'd love to be there and see that process."
Teeks also opened up about getting "Surrender" tattooed across his throat, saying that while the word has negative connotations to some, to him, it is about understanding the power of surrendering to the world.
"Part of it is being present and surrendering to the present moment. If you are able to be present as much as you can throughout your life, you are much more at peace and you are a lot happier. It's accepting there are some things you can't control. Surrendering sometimes is honestly acceptance, accepting that sometimes things happen and that's the way it is."
He said he chose to get it on his throat as it means he can see it every morning when he looks in the mirror.
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