Aotearoa Bedroom Pop and Trap Artist Ferby on Her Biggest Influences

March 27, 2023

Straight out of Lyttelton on New Zealand’s South Island (Te Waipounamu), Ferby is a unique phenomenon. The 23-year-old artist’s latest single, ‘Angel’, showcases her production know-how, taking cues from artists like Princess Nokia, Ashnikko and Baby Keem.

Ferby’s music is indebted to trap, but possesses a DIY genre agnosticism. Here, Ferby tells us about the artists who’ve had the biggest influence on her work, stretching back to her pre-teen years and up to the present day.

Ferby – ‘Angel’

Miley Cyrus: Breakout (2008)

Ferby: Miley Cyrus has been a constant inspiration to me since I was a child. She was the first musician I ever listened to heavily. Her album Breakout had a huge impact on me. I would secretly make embarrassing cover videos and dance along to it all day in my bedroom. This album is drenched in nostalgia.

Paramore: Brand New Eyes (2009)

Ferby: After my rockstar Miley Cyrus era, I progressed into being obsessed with Paramore as an emo early teen. Brand New Eyes definitely hit me the most. My days were filled with trying to play ‘The Only Exception’ on guitar and thinking about Hayley Williams. I dyed my fuzzy, curly hair red, which looked horrible, and wore knee-high Converse shoes (which also looked horrible). But there’s something sweet about that to me.

Gucci Mane – ‘Finesse the Plug’ (2017)

Ferby: This song by Gucci Mane was a huge part of my beginning in music production and my love for rap and trap music. At the time, I worked as a dishwasher at a restaurant. When it was time to close, my boyfriend and I would blast this song on the speakers while I mopped the floor, being a little too drunk in the process.

Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar – ‘family ties’ (2021)

Ferby: When someone asks me what’s my favourite song of all time, ‘family ties’ always comes to mind. The music video is just as amazing. I’ve crushed on Kendrick since primary school and will probably just keep doing so. Baby Keem was a more recent discovery. His music is so refreshing and I wish it was mine. He’s become a giant inspiration for me when it comes to music creation.

Cameron Paxton: Dome Keeper, Vol. 1: The Engineer OST (2022)

Ferby: After a few years hunched over my laptop making trap songs on Ableton, I started to really appreciate video games and their soundtracks. I’m currently trying to combine video game-like sounds and synths with my girly trap-pop music. I think it’s such a good combination.

I find this Cameron Paxton soundtrack really beautiful. It’s an especially good thing for me to listen to when I’m programming. The game, too, is extremely gripping.