Tami Neilson Drops Single 'Big Boss Mama' + Video

New Zealand / Canada songwriter Tami Neilson has shared a large-and-in-charge audio-visual combo titled ‘Big Boss Mama’, released in celebration of International Women’s Day which is happening today! Written with Kaylee Bell, Seth Haapu and Jol Mulholland at an APRA Songhubs workshop, the new tune is filled with retro swagger, toe tapping drum beats, three part vocal harmonies and sassy, no nonsense wordplay. The accompanying clip directed by Todd Neilson pays homage to strong women throughout history, including Buffy Sainte Marie and our own Jacinda Ardern. Tami Neilson was announced as one of the finalists for the Taite Music Prize 2019 yesterday, you can catch her tonight at Auckland's The Powerstation as part of the female-focussed nationwide Milk & Honey Festival, sharing the stage with Nadia Reid, Julia Deans and Ria Hall. Neilson spoke about her standalone single's genesis...

"I had a conversation I’d had with a girlfriend of mine, another big boss Mama, kicking around in my brain. She’s in the world of hip hop and said, “You know how hip hop is all about strut and swagger and confidence, telling people how badass you are? You should write a song with that attitude for your genre. You don’t hear women talking boldly and unapologetically about themselves like that."

Neilson unpacked the themes of her new video, saying "this was the first time I’ve ever done a video where I didn’t come up with the concept and I put my trust fully in him. He wanted to create portraits of powerful women throughout history (Elizabeth I, Cleopatra), women who broke through the barriers society has placed on females (Annie Oakley, Amelia Earhart), courageous women who battled injustice (Rosa Parks, Joan of Arc) and told me to choose two women who I admired, that influenced me directly. Being a woman who is lucky enough to call two countries home, I chose to pay homage to Buffy Sainte Marie as my Canadian/First Nations influence and Jacinda Ardern (Prime Minister of New Zealand) as a woman I greatly admire for my New Zealand influence. When it came to choosing a release date, there was no question that this celebration of Big Boss Mamas had to be on International Women’s Day.”

You can catch Tami Neilson at The Powerstation as part of the female-focussed nationwide Milk and Honey festival, alongside Nadia Reid, Julia Deans and Ria Hall. Check out more details over HERE.