After two years overseas, Arjuna Oakes ‘needs to hear some tūīs’

After months of "hand-to-mouth" living, Arjuna Oakes is finally settled in a London flat, signed to a boutique record label and sharing a rehearsal space with two Kiwi friends.

Although the 16 songs on his first-ever solo album While I'm Distracted were written while he was living a very different life in New Zealand, the 26-year-old is amazed and grateful that over two years later, they’re still “totally relevant” to the person and musician he is.

“A lot of musicians struggle when they have to wait to put out music, but I think some of those songs I was almost writing preemptively for my future self, you know. Mantras that I needed to continue to tell myself," he tells Music 101.

Arjuna Oakes performs his new single 'No Joke':

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Although the immigration part of Oakes’ relocation was made “easy-peasy” by a UK passport, the musician was well aware he’d have to “hustle” for a good while to find his feet in the city.

While he’s enjoying London life now, Coates says he was doing it tough there for a while - moving house a lot, adjusting to "not so good" weather and learning some harsh lessons about the power of money and how it buys time.

While Oakes has become closer to Kiwi friends also living in London, the songwriter is also excited by the “magical” new connections he's making with the diverse community of international musicians based there.

This “tangible” sense of community can be really sustaining for musicians in the digital age, who can otherwise spend long, lonely days staring at how many views or streams they're getting.

“What is [digital music]? Is it really connecting with people? Numbers really mean so little that being part of a music community is so valuable.”

After playing a couple of I'm Distracted shows in the UK, Oakes hopes a New Zealand tour will also be on the cards before too long.

“I need to hear some tūīs, you know.”

While he plans to eventually return for good, London is home for the foreseeable future.

"Spiritually, my heart will always be in New Zealand, it will always be in Aotearoa. But I think for now, there's just so much happening, and I'm just so in love with the music community here."

“I'm growing so much in this part of my life. I would like to keep going.”