Conversations With Wāhine

Harita interviews Lee Martin.
Renowned singer-songwriter Lee Martin delivers a poignant reflection on life’s unpredictable journey with her latest indie-soul offering, ‘5 Year Plan’. This evocative track captures the friction between our grand designs and the gritty reality of time slipping through our fingers.
Lee is an old soul with a versatile writing style that completely bypasses mainstream clichés in favour of raw, probing narrative. The Christchurch-based artist spent her childhood absorbing the rule-breaking mastery of greats like Van Morrison and Pink Floyd, building a sonic identity heavily rooted in emotional resilience. After finding critical success with her 2024 album Dreamers Dawn, Martin has stepped into her most authentic era yet with her latest album, Marlene—a project she describes as an unfiltered reckoning of her own life chapters. We sat down with Lee to discuss her musical evolution, growing through life's messy realities, and why she has finally stopped chasing external approval. 

‘5 Year Plan’ provides a candid look at the sensation of being suspended in time—navigating the disappointment of faded dreams, lingering habits and mistakes, and the heavy weight of unmet expectations. It is an anthem for the quiet endurance and resilience required to keep moving forward when the path forward looks nothing like the blueprint, and life doesn’t unfold the way you imagined...
The song’s emotional core is anchored in its shifting narrative. Martin highlights the passage of time and the idiom that “time waits for no man” with the lyrics, "I’m 15 years in on my 5-year plan" which then evolves into, "I’m 18 years in on my 5-year plan.."
“These lines are the heartbeat of the track for me - my favourite parts of the song, indicating the chaos of lost time and the feeling of being stuck in motion. Meanwhile years later, here’s me still working on that 5 year plan”, Martin explains. 

The constant shifting of the goalposts, and the deflating realisation that you’re still a work in progress is, in the end, all ok because it’s better to embrace and grow through the chaotic and messy reality of life, rather than being disappointed in an imaginary, less than perfect finish line.
‘5 Year Plan’ follows on from previous single and video, the musically restrained yet emotionally potent ‘Feel’, an ode offering an empathic and judgement free lens through which to view intense vulnerability and self-destructive behaviours. With her trademark velvet vocals and masterful storytelling, the South-African born, Ōtautahi-based artist explores the vulnerability of "growing through the mess".
 ‘5 Year Plan’ is a soulful tribute to resilience and the courage it takes to remain in motion when life remains stubbornly off-script. Lee Martin is an indie-soul musical powerhouse celebrated for her lyrical depth and commanding vocal presence. Her music weaves together soulful grit and folk-style storytelling, making her one of Aotearoa’s most compelling voices.
You can follow her on socials here:
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Harita interview Alayne Dick.
Alayne is a multi-talented, queer comedian, writer, and performer based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington). Known for her sharp, relatable wit and delightfully unhinged storytelling, she has quickly become a standout fixture in the Australasian comedy and improv scenes.
Alayne first made waves on the fringe circuit, winning the SYNZ Tour Ready Award at the NZ Fringe Festival and earning a nomination for Best Spoken Word at the Sydney Fringe Festival. Her comedic footprint expanded significantly following a breakout sweep at the Wellington Comedy Awards, where she picked up nominations for Best Comedian, Breakthrough Comedian, Best Show, and Best Joke.
Audiences across New Zealand and Australia know her best from her hit solo stand-up hour, Purple is the Gayest Colour, which she successfully toured to the Adelaide Fringe, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and Auckland. The wildly popular show hilariously dives into growing up cringe in the 2000s, dial-up internet fanfiction, and her ultimate evolution into a "Bunnings gay".
Beyond stand-up, Alayne is a veteran improviser with the acclaimed troupe Tiny Dog and a brilliant screen writer, having secured a seed grant from the NZ Writers Guild. Whether she’s performing on stage at the NZ International Comedy Festival Gala, appearing on TV3's Best Comedy Show On Earth, or bringing chaotic group chats to life with sock puppets, Alayne delivers a potent blend of comedy that you won't soon forget.
You can follow her in instagram: (1) Instagram

Harita interviews Zoe Vera.
Following hot on the heels of her previous Live Harder single releases ‘Good Enough’ and ‘Twelve Feet Under’, latest stand-out track ‘Dizzying’ captures the emotional tension between both wanting and fearing love. A reflection of the courage it takes to open your heart when faced with the thrill of a new, exciting connection, while feeling paralysed by past relationships and unhealed wounds
“For me, ‘Dizzying’ is about being fearless and open to the thrill of experiencing love again, even though you’re still nursing raw, residual pain. It’s an emotional tug-of-war when you’re feeling swept up in something new, but still wary due to past lessons”, says Zoë.
A widely relatable track, ‘Dizzying’ masterfully pairs a vibrant, upbeat melody with sharp moments of introspective tension. Known for her lyrical honesty, raw vulnerability and emotive vocals, it’s through her music that Zoë cathartically explores themes of resilience, identity and growth.
Her soon to be released EP, Live Harder, produced by highly respected, multi-talented musician Danny McCrum, delves into her experience with trauma and the journey of rebuilding her life, which allows her to draw on a profound well of strength and survival to inform her lyricism.
Zoë is set to further build on the widespread radio and industry acclaim received to date from previous tracks which have already received international and local airplay on numerous radio stations, including a highly coveted debut interview with powerhouse broadcaster The Hits.
With a sound that leans into musicality, sophistication and creative substance setting her apart from predictable pop genre conventions, Zoë Vera is an exciting new presence on the New Zealand music scene, and has quickly become an artist to watch.
Wrap your ears around ‘Dizzying’ and 'Live Harder' now!

Aisling Waldron is a Senior policy Advisor at Family Violence and Sexual Violence Prevention Center and serves on the Governance Board of ECPAT Child Alert. She previously led Prevention and Education initiatives at the Department of Internal Affairs tackling online harms, including child sexual exploitation and terrorist and violent extremist material online. In 2025 she accepted a role as Global Director of Monitoring for Cybersmarties, an Irish based education social media platform. After failing to be paid for 6 months, Aisling resigned and is now one of the key whistleblowers against CyberSmarties Ltd and its founder Diarmuid Hudner, acting on behalf of a victim group spanning multiple countries. 

Shari Brewer is an Australian based content strategist with a background in education and digital business development. She has built and managed multiple online platforms across content marketing and e-learning, with a strong focus on supporting small business owners with their authentic voice in an AI-centric world. In 2024 she and a business partner invested their savings in an Australian Cybersmarties franchise to introduce the platform into Queensland schools. Things did not go to plan, and despite a signed contract guaranteeing the return of their deposit and countless empty promises to return the funds, she remains out of pocket more than 12 months later. 

Together Aisling and Shari are pressing the authorities to investigate the company and founder. They have secured a front page story in the NZ Herald as well as in the Irish Mail on Sunday formal investigation and accountability. They continue to work tirelessly to ensure that companies and systems set up to protect children are themselves held to account.

They are continuing to raise funds for their legal case in the Irish courts, which has the extra layer of challenges since Aisling and Shari don't live in Ireland. Every donation and share helps bring them one step closer to justice:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/justice-should-be-within-everyones-reach-fairness-matters

Content Warning: sexual themes, including rough sex and strangulation/choking. 
Award winning educator and researcher, Samantha's research interests are in gender-based violence and abuse, and she is an internationally recognised expert on pornography, ‘rough sex’ and sexual choking/strangulation. She is the author of 'Pornography, rough sex and gendered harm: Just sex on screen?'.