By Ali Ikram
Hollie Smith tonight launched the first single off her upcoming album Humour and the Misfortune of Others.
Debut Long Player was a hit here a couple of years ago, but her difficult second album has been more difficult than most. If hardship and troubles give birth to great rhythm and blues music, Smith's latest release is likely to be something special.
First single 'Mamma' deals with the rollercoaster ride of fame in a small country.
"People had pretty strong ideas when I wrote the song that I was doing well and was rich and famous, if that's really possible in New Zealand, and that really wasn't going on," says Smith.
What was going on was that Smith's debut album Long Player went double platinum in New Zealand, selling 30,000 copies.
She was signed to Blue Note Records in the US. The label was to release the album internationally, but because of business changes it didn't, leaving the singer in limbo.
She even considered giving up.
"There was as a lot of things that made me question why I do what I do, but luckily I've come through it really strongly," she says.
Smith had to reinvest the profits from Long Player into buying the material back.
While the video to 'Mamma' is full of cameos from Smith's famous friends, but like her last few years all is not what it seems at first glance.
"Again it's like a double life scenario," she explains. "People think I'm doing really well but I'm struggling. Instead of going on the struggle aspect, people think I'm doing really well and I'm a musician, but I'm actually as assassin and that's pretty tough."
Smith will tour the main centres in April and March, while her wryly-titled album Humour and the Misfortune of Others is out next month.
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