Fifteen years is a lifetime in the music industry, but for Aotearoa’s songwriting royalty Bic Runga, it was exactly the breath she needed. The iconic artist has officially broken her long silence with the release of 'Red Sunset', her sixth studio album and first collection of entirely original material since 2011’s 'Belle'.
The record’s genesis is as romantic as its title suggests. Captured during a winter residency in Paris in 2025, the album was co-produced by Runga alongside Kody Nielson. Far from the rush of a studio clock, the tracks were allowed to simmer in the French cold. “After such a long time between albums, I didn’t want to rush this one,” Bic explains. “These songs came together slowly, in a very particular place and time, and that space really shaped how the record sounds and feels.”
The atmospheric weight of the city is palpable, particularly in the single ‘Paris in the Rain’. Penned on her final night in the capital, the track was recorded on a historic 1807 French Pleyel piano, its melody echoing the rhythm of a downpour over the Louvre. For Runga, the displacement was a creative catalyst: “There’s something about being away from home that sharpens your perspective. Paris gave me the quiet and the contrast I needed to write honestly.”
Since her multi-platinum debut, 'Drive'. in the late 90s, Runga has been celebrated for a certain emotional precision. While Red Sunset experiments with shimmery synths and retro-pop textures, it remains anchored in her signature restraint. Reflecting on her evolution, she notes: “A lot has changed in my life since my last album. But the core of why I make music hasn’t. 'Red Sunset' feels like a continuation rather than a reinvention.”
Fans can immerse themselves in this new chapter now via digital platforms, with physical copies on vinyl and CD arriving Friday 6 March. To celebrate, Bic is hitting the road for a massive tour across Aotearoa and Australia this April. From the Northcote Theatre in Melbourne to Sydney’s City Recital Hall, audiences will be treated to a setlist that bridges the gap between the fresh Parisian hues of 'Red Sunset' and the timeless classics like ‘Sway’ and ‘Drive’ that started it all.
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