Ngaire Joseph – known by her stage name Ngaiire (pronounced “nye-ree”) – is an Australian singer and songwriter.

Born in Lae, Papua New Guinea, she experienced a somewhat turbulent childhood: her parents moved to New Zealand when she was a year old, and at the age of three was diagnosed with blastoma in her adrenal glands. This later inspired the video for her 2013 single, “Dirty Hercules”, and the title for her 2016 album, Blastoma. In 1994, her then-hometown Rabaul was buried in volcanic ash as a result of a nearby eruption.

Music was a key part of Ngaiire’s life by the age of 12; she claimed that it gave her “the ability to talk about and feel all the things that were going on in [her] world”. After moving to Australia in 2000, she entered the 2004 season of Australian Idol, eventually reaching the Top 13 before being voted out. She later released a number of one-off singles and collaborations; “It’s Not Me, It’s You”, a collaboration with Paul Mac, was moderately successful in Australia.

Ngaiire’s debut album, Lamentations, was eventually released in July 2013 to rave reviews. “Once” was released as the lead single from her second album Blastoma in July 2015, and placed 73rd in the annual Triple J Hottest 100 List in 2016. “Diggin” followed as the second single in February 2016, preceding the full LP released that June.