Behind Nyree Huyser’s sound
Christchurch-based vocalist Nyree Huyser is no stranger to the stage. Her rich, soulful sound commands attention and powerhouse vocals are her signature. Behind the spotlight is a story that spans continents, careers, and a powerful reconnection with the music that first moved her, Metropol writer Hannah Brown discovers.
It wasn’t until Nyree Huyser discovered the powerhouse voices of Céline Dion, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey that something truly clicked. “I was astounded by the emotions they could stir in me just by listening to their voices. From then on, I was hooked, I wanted to be just like these women.”
Born in a small town outside of Glasgow, Nyree grew up in a home where music was ever-present – her parents would listen to 70’s rock around the house and on road trips.
Music became her refuge during difficult times, especially after her parents divorced when she was eight. “Those years were very tough. I used music as an escape. It was pretty much like therapy for me,” she says. Belting out ballads behind a closed bedroom door was as much a release as it was early training.
“I loved performing, I was always very confident. I felt at home on the stage.” Her vocal foundation was laid early, Céline Dion’s The Colour of My Love on repeat, every lyric memorised, every riff studied and imitated. “I guess you could say that album was my vocal tuition,” she reflects. “It made me realise music and singing was always going to be a huge part of my life.”
At 19, a major turning point arrived when she was invited to join a professional ABBA tribute act. It was her first paid job in music, and the experience touring across the UK, Europe and the Philippines set a new course. “It showed me that it was indeed possible to pursue a career in entertainment,” she says.
Nyree moved from the United Kingdom to Aotearoa to be with her now-husband. Compared to the hustle and bustle she had known, New Zealand’s relaxed way of life instantly felt like “home”. Then came motherhood. Three children later, and a hiatus from music that stretched into years, Nyree began to wonder if her performance days were behind her. “I thought my music career was a thing of the past, something I could look back on and be proud of,” she admits – until, “after 20 years of applying to be on a reality talent show”, The Voice offered her a chance.
Stepping onto that stage was, in her words, “the most nervous I have ever been.” Standing behind the iconic doors waiting for them to open, with cameras rolling and Rita Ora on the other side, Nyree felt “an exciting kind of terrifying” – a feeling she wasn’t about to back away from.
Her time on the show gave her back a sense of self. “I had just had my third child… I had lost a lot of who I was before I had children. The Voice sparked my joy for music and proved to me that I wasn’t done, that I can still be a good mum and shine my own light at the same time.”
A standout moment from her time on the show was the battle round duet with fellow contestant Tarryn Stokes. “Singing Alone gave us an immense sense of sisterhood, mutual respect and genuine support for one another,” she recalls. “It was a very special performance for both of us.”
Nyree’s sound has continued to evolve. In her early 20s, she pivoted to electronic music, writing and recording for DJs and producers. More recently, she’s returned to the big, emotive vocal style that first inspired her, citing artists like Jazmine Sullivan, RAYE, Adele and Angie Stone as current influences. “I’ve gone right back to my roots,” she says.
Her recent EP Undiscovered, the single By The River, and even a festive track, I Remember Christmas, mark what she describes as a bucket list chapter. “My album Fixing Heads and Chasing Tails was a multi-genre release, a kind of creative cleansing,” she says. “Now I’m in a space to revisit big vocals, big emotion and big instrumental sound.”
Songwriting, once something she approached with caution, is now becoming a more intuitive and personal process. She’s learning to “put less weight on what others think,” and trust her instincts. “I draw from my own emotions, mental struggles, empowerment, self-confidence. I want to write more meaningful music, music that draws out feeling and emotion like what I used to feel listening to albums as a kid.”
The practical side of creativity, however, requires its own rituals including quiet, tidy spaces, low lighting, flowers, and candles. “Of course, with three children at home this is not always easy,” she laughs. “I usually do this when I’m out of town for an event and have some downtime at the hotel.”
Right now, she’s deep in writing mode, working on a second album and collaborating with other songwriters. “As an artist, I am now more secure about my style and identity. Expect a more mature, classic and powerful album, more along the lines of By The River.”
Off the stage, Nyree has been building momentum through live shows and performances with orchestral production Synthony, while also continuing to tour her Céline Dion tribute show internationally. Musical theatre might be on the horizon next.
And her unique name? It brings the Glaswegian’s story full circle. “I was named after a New Zealand-born actress, Nyree Dawn Porter. I had no roots in New Zealand at all,” she says. A 2012 visit changed everything. “It wasn’t until I came here that I felt, for the first time in my life, I was home.”
With new music on the way, Nyree’s journey continues to blend strength, soul and transformation. She’s still dreaming of touring Aotearoa and Australia with a live orchestral show, performing at Christchurch’s new stadium, and more. “If I’ve learned anything,” she says, “it’s that it’s never too late, and anything is possible.”
Nyree performs The Power of Celine at the Rangiora RSA on 13 September and Hollywood Glamour at The Piano on 23 October.
