HINA

Artist. Songwriter. Performer.

Releases music, plays live.

Debut album arriving in the New Zealand winter of 2026.

Artist

With a sound described by Remix Magazine as “genre-fluid”, HINA has emerged as one of New Zealand’s most captivating new voices.

Her latest single Coucou! is a swirl of 1960s French pop and cinematic strings, shaped by the unmistakable sensibilities of James Milne’s (Lawrence Arabia) string arrangements.

Happy Mag lauded her debut EP Muse for its “soulful mastery,” calling her ability to “channel emotion with impressive grace” a hallmark of her sound. Rolling Stone dubbed her sophomore EP Omen “a masterclass in emotional world-building,” and described her 2025 Aotearoa Alternative Awards-nominated single Hinātore as “transcendent”, a song “brimming with ancestral resonance.”

Songwriter

With timeless songwriting and emotional bravery, HINA has developed a sound that balances complex feeling with plainspoken honesty. As well as writing all her own music, she collaborates widely across the New Zealand music community, with her work speaking to both spirit and craft.

A participant in both the APRA Te Reo Māori Songhubs 2022 and the APRA UK SongHubs 2023, she co-wrote the APRA Maioha Award-winning waiata Me Pēhea Rā with Mohi Allen, Noema Te Hau III, and Hēmi Kelly - a key moment in her contribution to the contemporary Māori music landscape.

Performer

Live, HINA possesses what RNZ calls an “arresting presence” and “emotive vocal delivery” that leaves audiences spellbound.

2025 was a glittering year for HINA’s live performances, with a showcase at the Going Global Music Summit, three nights with the Exploding Rainbow Orchestra at the Hopetoun Alpha, at The Others Way Festival, and two nights supporting Ian Moss (Cold Chisel) at the Hollywood Avondale.

As well as her own headline performances at Auckland’s Q Theatre, the Auckland Art Gallery, Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington and her local Karangahape Road institutions Whammy Bar, Double Whammy, and the former Wine Cellar, HINA has also performed at several Auckland Arts Festivals, two slots at the Auckland Folk Festival, and in support of SIX60 at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.

Album

This year will usher in HINA’s debut album, recorded live at Neil Finn’s Roundhead Studios with a seven-piece band* and four-piece string section, produced by Navakatoa Tekela-Pule. The record captures a quintessentially Aotearoa sound, flowing through indie rock and alt-country textures with a dusting of pop instinct.

These songs were planted in the soil of small, unnamed moments. They are for anyone who has learned to live in the in-between, and are ready to find their way home to themselves again.

*Notable performers include Dave Khan (Marlon Williams, The Veils, Reb Fountain), James Milne (Lawrence Arabia), Hamish Morgan (Marlins Dreaming), and Tiare Kelly (BENEE).

Live Performances

  • Click here to see clips of the HINA duo with Dave Khan, performing (and soundchecking!) at the Hollywood Avondale in support of Ian Moss (Cold Chisel).

  • HINA trio has played live-to-air on 95bFM - watch the video here.

    Watch a snippet here of the HINA trio performance at the Auckland Art Gallery.

    HINA trio has also played live-to-air on RNZ. Listen here to RNZ Live on Summer Times with Anna Thomas, and listen here to RNZ Live on Afternoons with Jesse Mulligan.

  • Follow this link to watch the live solo version of Go So Well from the debut HINA EP Muse.

  • Follow this link to watch the highlights of HINA showcasing live at Double Whammy (Auckland) with a six-piece band for the 2025 Going Global International Showcase. Filmed by Addison Chiplin.

    Click here to watch snippets of HINA live at The Others Way Festival with a five-piece band.