Vince Harder On Finding The Next Big Popstar

Beaming onto our TV screens in 1999 as a single season, Popstars quickly rose in popularity to become an integral part of New Zealand reality television history. Devised by producer Jonothan Dowling in a tiny office in Grey Lynn, Auckland, the show’s concept was quickly bought up by Screentime Australia and distributed around the world. Over nine 30-minute episodes, the first season followed the creation of all-girl pop band, TrueBliss, culminating in a studio album and a string of chart-toppers in New Zealand. The NZ-born show was even the inspiration for American Idol! To be on our screens later this year, Popstars is coming back thanks to TVNZ. Soloists, duos and groups will be given a unique opportunity to work alongside masters in the New Zealand (and global) music scene, like Zed frontman, Nathan King, Grammy Award-winning songstress, Kimbra and NZ crowd-favourite, Vince Harder.

Born in 1982 and raised in West Auckland, Harder had always been determined and focused on his goals in the arts. He attended Henderson High and then Excel School of Performing Arts whilst also working a mundane factory-job. An artist’s gotta pay the bills, I guess. Working the long hours and not getting much in return, Harder was inspired to co-find urban performing arts group, Jireh. That group travelled across New Zealand and Australia for the next three years.

After landing a job at his local Rebel Sports, one of his fellow Jireh members, Bella Kalolo, suggested to Harder to audition for the Australian production of The Lion King in early 2002. Out of 4,000 prospective Simba’s, he landed the role and, after a 12-month contract, he decided to focus on his own music.

Vince already has had plenty of experience already in reality TV, having placed third on the X Factor Australia in 2005. He then went on to release four studio albums and gain a cult-following here in Aotearoa, whilst still staying humble and care-free.

Since finding his own voice in the industry, he became a back-up dancer (and personal friend) of Guy Sebastian, collaborated a number one single with P-Money, released four studio albums, has won a raft of awards, started his own production company HMG, and has writing and production credits with Titanium, Moorhouse and Stan Walker.

M2 got to sit down with Vince Harder and talk on the industry, his success and what audiences can expect to see in Popstars.

How’s 2021 been for you so far?

It feels like 2020 is still here for some reason. The effects of last year have sort’ve merged. But it’s actually been great. We’re out and about and we’re able to work.

Obviously being a musician it’s been very hard as we are finding new ways to work and make music and share, in terms of live performances. It’s really nice also to have a job. I’m feeling positive about where we’re at right now here in Aotearoa.

Did you find that lockdown got the creative juices flowing?

Right now, the world is in a very vulnerable state…There’s a lot of things going on. Here in Aotearoa we’re quite lucky that we don’t have to deal with as much of the pandemic as other places have. There are other things that we still all have to go through as New Zealanders – like going into lockdown. They put a halt onto lots of different things. We’ve had to change our scheduling and other things like that.

I think in terms of Popstars, everyone has been so great to work with. Pretty much the best crew, the best team and the contestants have been pretty awesome to work with. And obviously the panel! Nathan [King] and Kimbra, they’ve just been a dream to work with. I love working with them – we’ve pretty much become best mates.

We love hanging out with each other and working with each other. [Kimbra’s] incredible. I’ve been following her since she started releasing her music out here in New Zealand. When she got the Grammy, it was amazing and I felt quite proud that we had another great Kiwi artist out there. She’s just gone from strength to strength in producing fantastic music, thinking outside the box and offering creatively. I love working with her and hearing her experiences.

Collectively, we can guide the contestants through the ropes and really make an impact, you know. They don’t know how to work in this industry, especially with what’s been happening around the world. They wonder: ‘How do I make this a job?’ and ‘How do I navigate my creativity?’

Hopefully, as well as being on the show, we can also give them some things that they can walk away with and encourage them to go their own path.

How did it feel when they asked you to be one of the judges on Popstars?

I was stoked…but I actually think my wife was more excited than me! She loves the show as much as I do. We both remembered watching the show 20-something years ago, her being a young girl and I was just getting into performing arts at the time.

I was studying at a performing arts school called Excel and I remember seeing the audition process on TV and seeing the opportunities these fresh, young faces got to have. I remember being like: ‘Damn, this is so cool! I wish they had a show for guys!’ – they were only looking for a girl-group at the time. But from there, it just catapulted the rest of the reality TV shows that we’re seeing today.

I’m proud that, 20 years later, I get to be a part of the pioneering show that set it off for the rest of the world. It’s amazing to be a part of this.

What got you into music in the first place?

Out of performing arts school, I started a band, working on original music. I wanted to develop a sound and I collaborated with friends that were into the same things that I was into. That wasn’t so much the singing, but more the Polynesian culture with dancing and hip-hop.

I started a group and we toured New Zealand and Australia where we’d put on these two-hour performing arts shows, that consisted of singing, dance, acting…Dance plus acting. We actually called it ‘dacting’. We gotta share a lot of stories through that. That set me up in the acting world.

I actually auditioned for The Lion King which got me my first professionally paid gig. I did that show for about 16 or 17 months, which was great. Definitely hard work, doing eight shows a week – a lot of media calls. It was the first theatrical Disney show this side of the world. Obviously with The Lion King being such a successful movie, it was everywhere. I was one of the lead actors in the show so I was thrown in the deep end in regards to publicity. But that was good training ground for what was to come.

From there, it got me auditioning for different shows and I ended up on The X Factor Australia, where I came third. After that, I started working on my own music. I got a collaboration with P-Money from an A&R exec from Australia who wanted to sign me. It was with that collaboration I got my first number one! Since then, I’ve been ploughing away making music, collaborating and travelling the world with it. I never thought it’d bring me to this place.

I’ve got a dance influence in my songs that were inspired by the theatre background. I want to evoke emotion. If I do a dance song, the listener is going to want to get up and dance. As an artist, I feel that I have to stay true to who I am and do the best that I can to share that inspiration.

What does your creative process look like?

Now, as the lockdown levels have dropped down, I have been going into the studio and just listening to a whole lot of music. There’s just so much out there… I’ve been going from Soundcloud to iTunes to Spotify and discovering so many different sounds.

I always go back to the roots in terms of what I listened to. That’s everything from Stevie Wonder to Al Green to Donny Hathaway and being like, ‘Man, this is the music I fell in love with’.

Then I start jamming either on the guitar or I’d jump on the tools on my computer. I’d start messing with different beats or different chords and try to figure out the sound that’s going through my head. From that I’d topline – come up with melodies on top of the beat. I’d record those and write lyrics to that. From there on, I would work on what type of message I want to get out.

That’s how the process works with me. That could change the next day. I might be going one way on a Monday and on Tuesday I go back and think I want to do something different.

The creative process is certainly off-the-cuff, but there’s a lot of intention to finish it and to complete something too.

In Popstars, we get the opportunity to do Master Classes with the contestants. We still haven’t run through that moment with the show, but we will get to share that process in the studio (and for stage as well). We’ll give them tips on how to perform live and to project. Also be bold and present and in the moment. It’s quite cool.

For me, it just takes me back to when I remember performing in front of a crowd. I know that feeling, and I hope to impart some wisdom to share in that with them.

What have been your best and worst times on stage?

I was touring Australia at the end of 2019 with Guy Sebastian. One of my best performances on that tour was when I pulled out a Donny Hathaway cover song and felt so free and open. It was a Brisbane show and the crowd was super awesome.

Sometimes you just get a show when the audience is feeling connected to the songs. There are some things you can’t explain when performing on stage. That was one of those moments.

The worst one was more funny. It was when I was playing Simba and I forgot lines. I don’t know if you remember The Lion King movie, but it was when Pumbaa and Timon were asking Simba to look at the stars and tell them what he thinks is up there. I just blanked. Timone was like: ‘Simba, what do you think?’ and I was like: ‘…sorry, what?’

It was probably show number 450. It was a big no-no in musical theatre.

What is your tag-line for audiences to checkout Popstars?

‘Get Ready!’ Haha! Get ready for a cool, exciting, unique time! It’s going to be an awesome show. I’m not saying that because I’m bias. I’m keen to see all of this translated onto television. It’s my first time being in this position and essentially presenting these artists to the world.

There are lots of wow moments, tear-jerking moments, and blow-away epic moments! Of course, a bit of spicy drama too. It’s different from all the other shows because this show we’re looking for artists. We ain’t looking for the normal guy who can sing a good cover. This is finding original talent that can represent Aotearoa on the world stage.

What is your definition of success?

Without being too cliche, I think my definition of success is finding happiness in your truth. Finding happiness in things in what you value.

There’s a lot of talk around New Zealand about mental health. A lot of people set expectations on themselves that are just not realistic, especially when we live in a world where things can be sugar-coated and glossed over.

A healthy happiness is key to success. Not sugar-coated or glossed over. Then wherever you progress, just find the value in it and it’ll offer you a healthy, happy contentment and success.

Popstars is now showing on TVNZ 2