Ainslie Allen

From a young age, Ainslie Allen (Rongowhakaata) honed in on her talents. Her first professional singing engagement was for Sir Edmond Hillary, and with a passion for country music, she successfully competed throughout New Zealand, channeling the spirit of Patsy Cline and became known as ‘the crazy girl’. She won her first guitar at the age of 12 and at 16 she went on to win Smokefree Rockquest’s most prestigious Female Musician Award, the same year she starred in McDonald’s Young Entertainers, a hit New Zealand TV talent show, making ‘Ainslie Allen’ a household name.

As an Independent Alt Country artist, Ainslie released her debut EP the A-Sides in November 2013 before joining forces with Elvis Presley’s TCB band members and Sir John Rowles for a tour of Hawaii and New Zealand in 2014. Ainslie released her debut Country Album Betty in 2021 reaching #8 on the Official NZ TOP 40 ALBUM CHARTS and #30 on the official TOP 40 WORLD Album CHARTS.

Career highlights to date are playing the MAIN stage at Rhythm and Vines 2020, being part of Waiata Anthems Week 2021, entertaining New Zealand and Australian troops on a ‘mercy mission’ in East Timor, playing support act for Air Supply, performing for an audience of 250,000 at Auckland’s Coca-Cola Christmas in the Park, a finalist for Best Māori Wāhine Solo Artist at the Waiata Māori Music Awards 2021, she makes regular appearances at major sporting events, singing the National Anthem for the All Blacks, Silver Ferns, South Africa’s Springbok, the Wallabies and French rugby teams.

Her recent releases Done and Gone, You Think You’re (Better Than Me), Maserati and Te Ua Ka Moa, were all chosen to be on NZ on AIR – New Tracks, her first Te Reo Māori release Taku Māmā debuted at #4 on Apple Music’s New Music Daily, and was immediately picked up by Spotifys Waiata Reo Māori playlist (35k) where it sat for over a year and was 8 weeks on Apple Music’s Southern Craft playlist. Her soulful version of the New Zealand National Anthem was produced and marketed by the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs. Ainslie also judged and mentored the TV series ‘The Big Time’.

Ainslie is NZ Country Music Entertainer of the Year, a double graduate of the 2018/2019 CMAA Academy of Country Music. She is 7 x finalist for the NZ Gold Guitar Awards 2019.

After a lifetime in the public eye, Ainslie has grown into a performer with passion and style, a singer with hauntingly beautiful vocals, and now a songwriter with depth and vulnerability. As an artist she is not afraid to tackle difficult issues.

Ainslie wrote her first song when she was just 8 years old. However she has spent most of her career singing other artist’s music, but she’s ready to stand in her own spotlight now, her music, her story.

After a massive few years, a national headline tour under her belt, songwriting in the Gold Coast Australia with some of her favorite country music writers, preparations are in full swing for her sophomore album, and she can’t wait to share it with you. First single from her new album is ‘Don’t Wanna Be Lonely’

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