Sonya Waters


Sonya Waters has been making music for over 40 years, ranging from punk to ambient, indie to country, ska through Krautrock, all the time writing her own songs and following her muse. She’s seen little commercial reward for her efforts but has garnered plenty of respect as a pioneering female voice in New Zealand music.

In her time, she has performed at both Sweetwaters and Glastonbury festivals, been part of London’s squat rock and San Francisco’s alt-rock scenes, recorded for Ripper Records and Flying Nun, and fronted a series of constantly innovative bands.

Instigators - Hope She's Alright (1982)
Sonya Waters - No Pain, Ripper, 1983
The Instigators at Sweetwaters, 1982.
Photo credit: Photo by Gordon William Bartram
Fang - Something Good (2004)
avoid!avoid - Drones (2016)
Instigators, L to R: Sonya Waters, Tom Rothsey, Eddie Olsen.
Photo credit: Sonya Waters Collection
White Swan Black Swan (album, 2008)
White Swan Black Swan EP (2007).
The Instigators.
Photo credit: Sonya Waters Collection
Sonya Waters - No Pain, Ripper, 1983.
Fang, 2004.
Photo credit: Sonya Waters Collection
Sonya Waters in Orange, 1992.
Photo credit: Kim Stringfellow
Sonya Waters backstage at Glastonbury Festival with the Woodentops, 1987.
Photo credit: Sonya Waters Collection
Fang - The Origin of Species (1999)
Sonya Waters.
Photo credit: Photo by Bryan Staff
Sonya Waters in Orange, 1992.
Photo credit: Kim Stringfellow
Sonya Waters performing at City Gallery Wellington, 2020.
Photo credit: Ben Howe
Fang - Swim Up Stream (2004)
White Swan Black Swan - I'm Living For You
Fang - Somewhere Out There (2002).
White Swan Black Swan: Sonya Waters and Ben Howe.
Photo credit: Kathryn McCool
White Swan Black Swan - Finger and Nail (2008)
Sonya Waters at Outsider Sounds, Auckland Fringe Festival, Auckland Town Hall.
Photo credit: Ben Howe
Sonya Waters - No Pain, Ripper, 1983
White Swan Black Swan. L to R: Rick McShane, Sonya Waters, Ben Howe, Ben Furniss.
Photo credit: Kathryn McCool
Sonya Waters in Orange, 1994.
Photo credit: Kim Stringfellow
Fang - Man From The South (2002)
Instigators - Hope She's Alright (Ripper, 1982)
The first lineup of Fang: Sonya Waters, Ben Howe, Andrea Holmes.
Photo credit: Sonya Waters Collection
Sonya Waters performing with the Instigators at Sweetwaters, 1982.
Photo credit: Sonya Waters Collection
Orange CD cover, Dewdrops Records, 1994.
Photo credit: Sonya Waters Collection
Avoid!avoid: Sonya Waters, Stephen Reay, Brendan Moran.
Photo credit: Publicity image
Fang - Yellow (2004)
Sonya Waters, Orange, 1991.
Photo credit: Sonya Waters Collection
Sonya Waters, Instigators, early 80s.
Photo credit: Sonya Waters Collection
Sonya Waters at Outsider Sounds, Auckland Fringe Festival, Auckland Town Hall.
Photo credit: Ben Howe

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