After the "really intense" work at home, Moa said this week she was looking forward to performing a relaxed solo show on Sunday, the final act in The Winehouse's debut Summer Playground series.
The Apra Silver Scroll winner behind the hits Dreams in My Head, Falling in Love Again and Running Through the Fire (Storm) is renowned for her cheeky banter and inviting the audience to sing along. The Gibbston gig will be true to form.
"I get to spend a weekend away from the humdrum of Auckland city and I'll be seeing one of my best friends and I get to do another gig because I haven't done a gig for a really long time, not since my last, your last November, so it's just good to get out there again and play my old stuff, my new stuff and anything in between.
"I do take requests as well, which has proved to be awful or amazing in the past. I get everything - all my songs, Creedence Clearwater, Led Zeppelin, Britney Spears.
Lady Gaga I got last week."
The Christchurch-raised Bohemian chanteuse described herself as a "South Island girl" and recalled she spent a lot of time drinking its wines and eating its foods, as well as skiing and snowboarding.
"It's a place that's dear to my heart, like I was always meant to be there, and I felt that since the first time I went down that way."
The multiplatinum-selling songbird, producer, DJ and magazine agony aunt said she stumbled into artist management for the first time at the request of fledgling singer-songwriter Hannah Harding, who performs by the name Aldous Harding.
"She's incredible. She's from Geraldine and I met her outside my show; she was busking. I said 'What are you doing?
' She said, 'I'm trying to get money to get into your show.'"I said, 'I've got a good idea: why don't you support me?
Then you can come to my show for free.'"We've nearly finished her album. We've been recording it in Auckland and down in Christchurch and put her on tour, basically. She's a folk-indie artist and I think I see a star."
Anika Moa, The Winehouse, Gibbston, Sunday, March 18. Doors 5pm, support act 5:30pm, main act 6pm.
• Tickets $45 at the door and the Lakes District Museum, Arrowtown, or $45 plus booking fee from Eventfinder online. Children aged 13 and under free.
