Iva Lamkum

Iva Lamkum

Iva Lamkum is a New Zealand singer-songwriter from Wellington whose music draws on soul, jazz and a touch of underground hip hop. She describes her style as “street soul”. Her work centres on songwriting, melody and a distinctive vocal tone, and she also plays guitar and drums.

Background

Lamkum is of New Zealand, Samoan and Chinese heritage. She attends St Anne’s Primary and St Catherine’s College in Wellington, then leaves after seventh form in 2003 to study music, business and computing. She starts singing at the age of nine, but only later begins to see music as a possible career after receiving encouragement from others.

Music and performance

She becomes part of the Wellington music scene, performing with local musicians at gigs, concerts and festivals. She also forms her own band of professional musicians, giving her a consistent sound in both live performance and recording.

Recordings and collaborations

Her early recorded work includes singing on DJ and producer Benny Tones’ track “Within The Clouds” on the Nuclear Free Nation Aotearoa New Zealand compilation, with Lamkum writing the lyrics. The compilation also features artists including Hollie Smith, Anika Moa, Katchafire, Herbs, Kora and Trinity Roots. She also works on adding vocals to Sola Rosa’s album.

Release plans and label

Lamkum prepares a self-titled EP of six tracks, produced by the Wellington independent label Base Promotions Ltd.

Style and approach

Her music combines soul and jazz foundations with elements of hip hop. She presents herself as a singer, songwriter and instrumentalist, with her voice described as her main strength and the defining feature of her sound.