Niki Kennedy finds her own way home with new album The Space In between

Niki Kennedy is about to release her new album The Space In Between. The record captures a two year period of writing and self-production, underpinned by questions of identity and culture.

Born and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau and now based in Toronto, Kennedy has established a sound around roots and soul. Her journey into understanding her Polynesian identity brings indigenous elements into the record alongside more contemporary roots sounds.

This really gives the album a unique flavour. An eight-string Rarotongan ukarere strung with fishing line features on Big Feelings, alongside field recordings of the Aotearoa ocean and cicadas. Relax features pātē, another traditional Polynesian sound.

The Space In Between is as much about how the album was made as what ended up on it.

Kennedy had faced a string of funding rejections. She decided to make the music anyway, recording at home, producing herself and arranging musicians remotely. The album was pieced together with the DIY ethos Kiwi artists are notorious for. The process awarded the freedom to move away from any self imposed expectations.

This creative process turned into the documentation of a period of working through identity, insecurity, frustration and the question of where she belonged. The record is rooted in reconnection. It is a sentiment to taking ownership after years trying to figure it out. On the eve of the albums release, Niki Kennedy has her answer.