Residing in Whanganui since 2018, in NZ since 2004. Heti and Adie were born in the UK, returned for what, to Heti, feels truly like home. Aotearoa where Heti’s father was born.

Heti has a Degree in Fine Art, a Diploma in Theatre and Film Studies and a Graduate Diploma in Kindergarten Teaching. She met Adie Higginson in their late twenties and they pursued music both individually and together. They made  LP CD’s with separate Bands; Heti was in a band called ‘ Parkers Barton.’ This group was named at the time, after a street in Bristol, UK, by the drummer in the band, who was very much influenced by ‘Portishead’ another Band whose innovative sound was breaking on to the music scene in this City. This was also the time when Massive Attack and Tricky appeared. Like Parkers Barton, only previously thought of first, the band Portishead was also named after a place in Bristol.

“ It was one of those moments in time when a surge of new music could be tangible in the air. It felt great to be living in and around this vibrant City. We lived fourteen years in Bristol in different areas, St Andrews, Bowerleaze and St Pauls where the best Music Carnival was held every year. Music Decks and speakers were back to back, lining the streets with drum and bass, hip hop. reggae, Afro Caribbean beats greeting you as you danced past. Also a lock in, at the Star and Garter was well sought after with DJ Derek playing his decks inside. “ says Heti.

Adie played violin in a Country band called “ Grist ” and guitar in a duo playing Jazz tunes. He also followed his earlier training in Cabinet making. Loving and persuing woodwork, in particular furniture making and design, Adie, also worked through an apprenticeship in Repair and Restoration of violins and other string bowed Instruments, in the Bristol Violin shop. He was employed here for ten years. He is still working in this profession in Whanganui as well as teaching violin and making some furniture from time to time.

During this time, Heti was working as a personal assistant for a woman working with her own disability; a filmmaker. When not working Heti was taking singing workshops where she could with the likes of Ida Kellarova, or Trio Bulgarka. She handed their first child into the arms of Le Mystere de voix Bulgares, to be serenaded to. She became part of a singing duo called ‘Duende,’ with her friend Clare McGloughlin whom she met at a workshop, performing songs from Eastern Europe and other parts of the World. Duende performed at the largest European free festival at the time; Ashton Court Music Festival as well as other music venues; Bristol Museum with its’ amazing acoustics, also Churches, being amongst some of their favourite buildings to sing in.

Heti wrote and recorded two short music pieces for the filmmaker she worked for, one vocal and one on the ukulele which were shown in a film festival at the Arnolfini, Bristol. Heti adds that she thinks it’s always hard to be a musician and work in another profession at the same time, so flexibility and perseverance is definitely required, with a belief that music is to be treasured and will find a way to be heard. “ More and more,” Heti says, “ I feel that music and other creativities, such as painting and drama are being eroded away and under valued in their importance to the natural health and well being of the self and humanity as a whole. We do need all Arts to help us grow and develop. “

The Eastern European influences Heti enjoyed so much, might account for her love of close harmonic notes. She also enjoyed a bit of Jazz singing in John Dalton’s jazz band. One of her mistakes at this time might have also been her enjoyment of the influence of alcohol. This gave her the false confidence and bravery to join in singing with a Jazz band on a Ferry crossing one day. They kindly offered her to join them on stage as she was quite loud singing from her seat, she did and very quickly regretted it. She only knew half the lyrics to the song and a lot of la la la ing didn’t really work so well, she admitted.

On a good note, Heti devised and performed for two years, in a women’s comedy drama group called The Jezabels, which she says, was great learning for performing on her own as well as fun to be apart of a group. Heti’s rendition of Natural Woman by Carole King sung a cappella, whilst heavily pregnant, was something to be seen. She clapped her sides to gain more breath and was told later she reminded someone of a loveable penguin.

‘ Being in the Bath and Bristol school of Samba for two years was the best of gigs and kept me fit!. ‘ Heti says. She had a wild time performing in the Glastonbury Festival and working other large venues with this musical band, loving being absorbed in rhythm. Brian Eno, her external Fine Art assessor at Gwent College of Art, told her she had great timing and rhythm back then, after watching one of her art video pieces. Just clearly name dropping here. Heti unfortunately or perhaps fortunately didn’t know who Eno was at the time. She probably would have been more nervous showing her work had she known.

One more name drop? Okay well, Heti was back then, what was known as a ‘barmaid’ as opposed to ‘bar person’ for Peter Gabriel at a Real World studios’ Christmas Party. Growing up, she lived in a village called Box in a cottage just up the road from the Real World Studios and yes she got to dance with him, well, next to him.

In 2004, Heti and Adie made an enormous change to their lives and moved to New Zealand.  They raised their two children in Kapiti, and whilst both working, Adie in Instrument restoration and furniture making, Heti as a Steiner kindergarten teacher, they continued to make music together and produced a CD, both singing and playing guitars. They called themselves ‘ The Dovetails.’ in reference to Adie’s fine woodworking skills as a cabinet maker in Scotland and Heti’s idea of a link to love stories. They could be heard playing at that time on the wonderful Paekakariki Radio station with Mark Amery. A great station: 88.2FM if you want to tune in. They produced a cd at Muddy Records recording Studio.