EJ Barrett is a musical phenomenon releasing music that straddles soul, blues and jazz all while using nothing but her voice, body percussion and a Boss RC-505 loop station. The unique New Zealand based artist writes about her adventures in polyamory as a queer, neuro-divergent, millennial parent. The resounding success of her music and steadily growing followers suggest that she fits a niche in media that an underrepresented community needs filled.

EJ’s latest track Paint Me A Picture is unique not only in sound, but lyrical content too. It opens with Kimbra-esque backing vocals, and a breathy “shaker”. The sultry soundscape moves into the lyrics “paint me a picture of how you hold your wife at night, and how I might fit there too”. EJ wants to send the message that monogamy is a social construct, and by no means compulsory. 

Paint Me A Picture is accompanied by a mesmerising music video showcasing EJ’s circus arts training. The video was created in collaboration with Tairawhiti TV. EJ fire dances on a dimly lit stage, delivering the song with confidence. The video ultimately ends with her swallowing the fire, making the video a spectacle to view. I would love to see EJ Barrett live; you can almost sense the energy of a live show through the screen.

Keep up with EJ Barrett and her music making, fire eating, world changing shenanigans on Instagram and Facebook.

Photo Credit : Katie Fromings