Photo Credit: Mataara Stokes
One of Aotearoa's most celebrated artists, Stan Walker (Tūhoe, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Pūkenga, Tūhourangi, Ngāti Wāhiao, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Whakaue and Ngāi Tahu) has established himself as a powerhouse vocalist, songwriter and cultural icon. First capturing hearts across Australasia after winning Australian Idol in 2009 at just 18 years old, the multi-award-winning artist has since released seven studio albums and delivered countless hits. Renowned for his unmistakable voice and deep connection to his Māori heritage, Walker continues to celebrate te reo Māori, whakapapa and whānau through his waiata and storytelling.
2026 marks another exciting chapter, with the release of his heartfelt single ‘KĀINGA’, alongside its English-language counterpart ‘HOME’, and his involvement in Disney's Moana: Voices Across the Ocean, featuring 25 Pacific artists. Most recently, Walker celebrated 17 years in music with a spectacular sold-out symphonic concert in Tāmaki Makaurau. We had a kōrero with Stan about these incredible milestones, the stories behind his latest music and his journey so far.
Hype Medium: Thanks so much for taking the time to chat - an absolute honour and privilege to talk to you! Very excited to chat to you about all your new music and most recent adventures. First of all, I'd love to chat about your latest single, ‘KĀINGA’. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind that song, and what it means to you?
Stan Walker: It's a love letter to my kids. It's a promise to my kids that no matter where they go in their life, no matter how old they get and what life looks like for them, that they will always be reminded by the song that me and their mum will always be their home. They can always come home to us, and I want them to know that they can be anything and do anything. Yeah, so it's my love letter to them and it's a reminder to them.
Hype Medium: I love that. And I saw the music video as well which was so beautiful. I feel like there's so many precious moments in that.
Stan Walker: All of it was literally just our life with them. It was all just footage from different times that a lot of our friends and whānau had taken, and we just made basically a compilation/montage of the kids and their little lives. The song is obviously for them, and it's for anybody who needs to hear a song like that. But now I'm like, that's like a selfish song that I get to listen back to you and get to watch back. We just watched it yesterday because the kids love watching my video clips, so annoying. But they love that especially because they get to see themselves and they're so excited. They're like “Papa, it's me when I was a baby!” (laughs). So it was actually really beautiful and a beautiful reminder of why I did the video like that.
Hype Medium: Yes it’s so special. Every single second of the video is just overflowing with love. And we've got to talk to you about Moana: Voices Across The Ocean (Music Inspired By). Incredible album, obviously featuring 25 Pacific artists. How did that opportunity come about, and what was it like being part of such a special project?
Stan Walker: Man, honestly it was crazy but I got approached from Tiana (Nonosina Liufau) and Kayla (Fa’amaligi) who are producers on Moana, and they were also choreographers for Moana - the animation and the live action. And they approached me with Lauren (Hashian), who is Dwayne, the Rock, his wife who's also a producer as well. And they just basically said that “we're doing this album and we would love to have you a part of it”. And I think I was one of the very first people who was approached as well which I felt so honoured about because opportunities like that, there's always a hope that you would be considered. That I would be considered for something like that because, not that I think of myself as being better than anybody, I just know who I am and I know my contribution. But to actually be considered, to be asked, it's always a shock. It's never lost on me that opportunities like this come to me. And I'm so just blown away by it.
And the whole experience was incredible. It was so incredible and I was like “I've got the song”. And I went straight in and finished the demo, and I sent it to them, and I was the first song that got sent in. And they said it kind of became the benchmark for all the songs, because when they sent the “this is what the album feels like, this is what it's about”, I was like “oh, I've got the song, it says all of that” (laughs).”Perfect! I'm here, I'm ready!”.
Hype Medium: And that song was ‘Family Tree’?
Stan Walker: ‘Family Tree’, yep. And I wrote ‘Family Tree’ a few years ago with some friends, with Benny (Morrell), with Billy (Davis) and Mo (Mohamed Komba). We wrote it in Melbourne and I've always loved the song. I just felt like it needed to have its place. And then when I got what the album was about and everything, I was like “oh, I found its place”. And then I rewrote some of the lyrics and stuff like that, but it was just perfect. It was perfect for the song.
And also, it's just another song for my kids as well to know where they come from, and who they come from, and how important that is to know their identity and know their culture. Because as Māori, we're so fortunate that, even though our cultures and our Pacific cultures didn't have a written language, all our culture was oral and through stories. And yet, you know, through centuries, we've been able to retain our culture and our languages which is so beautiful. So it's a reminder to my kids, again, no matter where they go in their life, no matter if they move overseas, whatever, that it’s another reminder that they know where they come from and who they come from. They know their mountain, their river, their waka, their tribe, all of that. The whole experience was so incredible, and then my kids got to be on the song as well. My nephews and nieces are on the song. So they're on an album with The Rock, which is crazy.
Hype Medium: (laughs) What a flex!
Stan Walker: Honestly, I feel like I've really achieved some of the greatest things in my life this year, and it's because of my kids, and for my kids, and they get to be a part of it. It's not just something that I get to do, but they're also a part of it, you know? So, yeah, it's cool.
Hype Medium: It's so beautiful. And like you said, it's the perfect celebration of identity and culture intertwined throughout this whole album as well.
Stan Walker: Yeah, fully!
Credit: Mataara Stokes
Hype Medium: And then you also worked on the song ‘We Know The Way’ with Dinah Jane. What was that experience like collaborating with her?
Stan Walker: Honestly, it was the best. We've been wanting to collaborate for years. The song has become an anthem for us and another great, incredible reminder of who we are and where we come from. It's kind of all worked out for the greatest. Just being able to be in the booth with her, having her come to Aotearoa, was just incredible just to be around so many different Pacific Islanders here, and her getting a taste of what it's like.
Because you know, she's American, so she's grown up with Pacific Islanders in America, but it feels a little bit different when you're coming to Aotearoa. Because even though people are like “oh, we're not islanders” - we are, we're just from a big cold island. Unfortunately, we don't have the tropical. Our island's just a lot bigger (laughs). But yeah, it's cool as and because they have such a deep connection with all the Pacific, and so to come here and feel that connection instantly, and for us to work together, it was incredible, it was hilarious, it was emotional, it was reclamation. It was collaboration and it was beautiful. It was such a beautiful time and my wife was doing all the food runs and she got all the different foods so her and her manager could try.
Hype Medium: Oh, that would have been amazing!
Stan Walker: And they were just like, “yes!. And I was like “girl, when you come here, we gonna feed you our versions, the better versions” (laughs).
Hype Medium: That's so good! Oh, perfect. She must have had the best experience and hopefully she comes back soon. And you've done already a special performance in Tāmaki Makaurau at The Trusts Arena. 5,000 people sold-out with the orchestra. How exciting! What was that experience like celebrating 17 years of music?
Stan Walker: Honestly, I was blown away aye. It's never lost on me the things that I still get to do, and the fact that people are still with me after all these years and all the different versions of me. It's buzzy just seeing the crowd, but also taking the crowd on a nostalgic journey, you know? It took me ages to put the show together in terms of the setlist and how it was going to run and the different sections, because I wanted to take people on a journey. If they've forgotten, or if they've just been introduced, or reintroduced, and just something old, something new, something borrowed. But all in the world that I've lived in, and all the songs that I've sung, and all the styles, the genres. I'll tell you now I think I've covered every genre (laughs).
Hype Medium: (laughs) Exactly, just dipping your toes in everything!
Stan Walker: I've been in dance, pop, soul, reggae, a bit of R&B, all of it. Touched on other things here and there. So it was so cool - for being fans, this is what they get. They get the full experience. Even the team, the promoters Fabrik - we've been working so closely with them, and we're doing a lot of work to put this all together, and they just automatically thought “oh yeah, a set is an hour and a half”. I was like “oh, no no no. I'm doing a show. I'm doing a whole experience. An hour and a half - I need to double that” (laughs).
Hype Medium: (laughs) “I need more time, please. There's so much to get through!”
Stan Walker: I need more time because there's so much, because there were songs that I've never done before. Songs I haven't done for years and years, and new songs. And then the songs that I've done that people have heard in the last few years, but I changed everything. Like adding the orchestra, changing the mixes, and everything. It was a big undertaking. And I'm just glad that people got to enjoy that, you know?
Hype Medium: Of course. Yeah, such a special time.
Stan Walker: Oh, it was incredible. My team's incredible. Everybody that was involved is incredible and if it wasn't me singing, just go and listen to the band. Go and listen to the singers. Go and listen to the orchestra.
Hype Medium: Yeah for sure. To have that experience and hear the music from a different perspective with the orchestra must have been so special. And you get to do it all over again in Ōtautahi and Pōneke which is great as well!
Stan Walker: Yeah, I'm excited because I feel like even after that, we've just gone back and I've made a million notes of like, “okay, we need to tighten this up”. Nobody knows because nobody knows the show. But for me, I want to make it even better. And because it was our first rehearsal too with the orchestra. We ran through the show just before the show.
Hype Medium: That's incredible. The amount of musicianship and trust.
Stan Walker: It was a lot (laughs). I'm like “oh, well, here we go. It is what it is. Can't go back now” (laughs).
Hype Medium: Well I'm glad it turned out amazing, so that's good. And I'd love to take you right back to when you were 18, auditioning for (Australian) Idol. Personally the ‘Purple Rain’ performance still stands out to me all these years later. What do you think 18-year-old Stan would say if he was to see into the future and see where you are now? What do you think he would think?
Stan Walker: Honestly, faaaa! (laughs). Whoa, you got kids, you got married. Oh, you're skinny! (laughs). Honestly people always think of this, and they think like I'd be so proud. I don't. I think I would just be overwhelmed. I think I would just actually be like, if I had one thing to say, it'd be “faaaa”. Because I even think, just me thinking now, it’s a lot.
Hype Medium: It's so much! Watching your journey and your career throughout the years and your life story, and obviously having family and kids now, it's so incredible to see and I feel like it can inspire so many other artists and creatives and just people in general to see what you can achieve.
Stan Walker: Oh 100%. There's a like an Idol part of the set that I do just to take people on that journey, and on the screens is a montage of all my Idol journey from the different songs that I did so people are literally going on a journey. For me, I look back and I was like “faaaa” - I couldn't believe it. Straight up, and because there's so many people on those videos too that have passed away, like my dad's passed away, my two aunties. There was a friend that was on Idol, one of the contestants. I was like “I can't believe we've come this far but also went through that” because at the time that was just like my whole world. Looking back, even in rehearsals, I stop singing. I can't watch the Idol - I hate watching it and I hate listening to it. I don't hate the experience, it's one of the best experiences of my life but it was crazy just watching that.
Hype Medium: Yeah I guess it's like so long ago, when you look back at old videos you're like “oh no I can't, that's a different person” almost.
Stan Walker: Straight up, I think it's like my 17th year anniversary of when I won. It's in November I think. I actually don't know the date. I should know the date. Every year, it goes past, and somebody is like “oh congrats on this”. And every year I'm like, “I'm gonna remember the day so I can celebrate - yes, this is when I won”. Forget. Fully forget. But I know it's coming out, so I'm going to find it out today so that I can remember (laughs).
Hype Medium: (laughs) Yes you need to do that! So I guess like leading on from that, for artists and musicians and other creatives out there especially from Aotearoa, what are some of the biggest lessons that you've learned throughout your career or if you have any advice?
Stan Walker: I think I've learned a million billion things. I’ve learnt what I'm capable of. I've learnt what not to do, but sometimes I still do. I feel like I'm withered in a lot of ways (laughs).
Hype Medium: (laughs) Yeah, sounds dire. But it can break you down!
Stan Walker: No, actually I think the biggest lesson which I have a lot of, like a million billion lessons, but the biggest lesson is to be able to pivot at any given time. If Plan A doesn't work, Plan B doesn't work - C, D, E, F, G. If you land on Plan F, Plan F was always supposed to be Plan A. I've learned to pivot when something doesn't go right, to pivot, carry on, readjust and go again. You have to be resilient in this game. You have to be so resilient. I think a lot of artists are coming into this industry, and I think it's maybe the generation where I think they've missed out, which is incredible, because it's the kind of the whole point. Where we have mana motuhake, we have autonomy over who we are. The big labels ain't the big thing anymore, they ain't the be-all, they don't control everything. I mean, they still do in certain parts of the world and certain people's careers. But because we've got social media and people live on that more than anything, so everybody's connected directly. You bypass all the gatekeepers, and you can get your shot from TikTok. You can get your shot from posting up a video.
But in saying that when people hit the stage for live, it's not all (people), I just think that an artist still needs that development. And I only say this not as, I'm fully not hating, because I know that Stan 10 years ago would not measure up to Stan now. I would own Stan 10 years ago, even though I was younger. Little less withered, better knees (laughs). A bigger appetite. And more zealous. But I just know that artist development is so important. Because at the end of the day, when you put yourself out there to do music and you're passionate, unfortunately there's a big part of it that you become the people’s. Your music becomes for the people. If you want to do music for yourself, then stay to yourself and keep that joy. Don't lose that joy. But if you want to be an artist for people, there's that and so that artist development helps you just become the best version of yourself and you discover that you're actually so much more capable than you thought.
Stan Walker: The more you test yourself, and the more you grow, and the more you put yourself through that development, man you grow. I never thought that I would ever be this person. Ever be this artist. Where from the beginning to the end, everything from the inside out, I'm creating. I'm creating the show, writing the songs with people. I'm doing the content for the video clips, the staging plots, the lighting. The screens. I direct my videos, I'm editing with my bros. I've had the right people around me. From everything that people see, I am in control of every department. From the choreography, from what people are wearing, everything. Who's on stage. I never thought that I'd be that, so be willing to do the hard mahi so that you can grow and become the best artist that you can be.
Like, honestly when people ask “what's your best advice?”. I don't have advice, you figure it out. But you gotta have some resilience. Honestly, I have come to that point in my life that I stopped giving people advice (laughs) because sometimes I talk shit and I need to take it myself (laughs). I think back to all the advice I've given people, I'm like “retreat, retreat!” (laughs).
Hype Medium: (laughs) Well, this is the best piece of advice I think! The resilience. I think that's so important. Being involved in every process and being so passionate about your art and your work and sharing that with others, I think that's the most important thing.
Stan Walker: Because it's so fulfilling too. And also, it's also heartbreaking when it doesn't work, but then you go again. That's where the resilience comes in.
Hype Medium: The pivoting.
Stan Walker: Yes, I think we live in a generation where people think you're just going to get it like that and it's going to happen. Man, it might happen for some people. They might get it first go every single time. But the reality is that's not always the go. And so be prepared for it to suck. Be prepared for nobody to listen. Be prepared for people to hate you. Be prepared for it all, and just don't care about it. You just keep doing you. Be resilient.
Hype Medium: Yes. Oh, that's so good! I absolutely love that. And as we're a New Zealand music platform, I'd love to know who are some of your favourite artists from Aotearoa at the moment? Any new songs or old songs that you particularly love right now?
Stan Walker: I was having this discussion with my mates about top singers in NZ. Who are the big dogs? And one artist who I know that people know, but I feel like is an underdog because people don't know the capability of his voice, but one of my favourite songs, and it's an old song, but Louis Baker - ‘Rainbow’.
Hype Medium: Yes, we love Louis Baker!
Stan Walker: I tell you now, I could put that song on and it would make me cry. I love that song so much, and I love him and I love his artistry and I love his voice. There's some incredible artists that come from New Zealand. You got SIX60, you got L.A.B, and I think because they are the big dogs, but they're the big dogs for a reason because they're incredible. They’re the big dogs for a reason. And another one - Paige. I love Paige. I think Paige is the biggest sweetheart, but I think that she is a huge talent. She's an incredible songwriter, incredible singer, and I love her artistry. I feel like she could pop off around the world because I think she's just so easy, but so clever and so talented. Yeah, all the things.
Hype Medium: Yes, so good! Alright well, this is my last question for you. It's a big one, so take your time but we always end on this question. If you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would that be?
Stan Walker: Grow up! (laughs). Have peace. Peace. You know that all the Miss Universes.“What do you want?”. “World peace”. My gosh. As a kid, I didn't really understand what that meant. I was like “yeah, world peace!”. That's what we need. We need more empathy. We need more love. We need more forgiveness. And just actual peace. My hope for people is that they find peace in their heart. And they will have empathy. More empathy. I think that's one thing that the world lacks majorly. I think it's an epidemic because we lack empathy. There's sympathy, but just actual empathy and that's one thing that I would love to say and hope that people would have. Peace and empathy.
Thanks so much Stan! Make sure to keep up with him on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Spotify & Apple Music.
