January 13, 2025 | 12:00am
Indie pop singer-songwriter Fiji Blue’s newly released album Glide was created during a time when he was experiencing the highs and lows of life — struggling with his creative process, getting married and learning that his wife had cancer.
His debut album was penned at the start of 2022 and launched in December of the same year.
“I’d say I had written almost every song that ended up on the album by the end of that year,” Fiji Blue, whose real name is Trevor Dering, recalled in an interview with The STAR and another media outlet.
“And then the following year was about mixing, making sure everything was right and working on the creative side — things like pictures.”
The 11-track record would have come out much sooner, but certain things beyond his control delayed it, including his wife’s health
Fiji Blue’s Instagram page
condition.
“I feel like, for me, a lot of the things I was going through at the time were creative and relationship-related — like working with people who maybe aren’t close to me anymore, unfortunately. But it was definitely a transitional year,” he mused.
“I was also getting married that year, so there were a lot of emotions involved. On one hand, I was dealing with creative struggles, and on the other, I was experiencing one of the happiest moments of my life. It was a strange yet great time in many ways. I feel like this album encompasses all the highs and lows I went through during that period — a journey from start to finish.”
Getting married has significantly changed his perspective and songwriting process. “Natasha (my wife) has been around since before this project even existed. Getting married kind of heightened things in a way. But in a weird way, I feel like I’ve always been married to her.
“So, getting married definitely shifted things in a positive way. But we were also going through one of the worst experiences — her cancer diagnosis — in the midst of getting married. I feel like life’s perspective was rushed for us in many ways.
“It has definitely changed my writing moving forward because this album was written before I got married and before she received her diagnosis. It’s strange to have this music come out, knowing how much it means to me.”
He dedicated the track Beautiful to his wife, writing it with Natasha in mind. “In short, getting married has absolutely changed my perspective on things, especially with everything that’s been happening. I just know that she’s everything to me, and I want to make sure I’m honoring her and always singing with her in my heart,” he beamed.
Other songs from the album include Shadow of You (his favorite), June, Angel, Adjust and Start Over, to name a few.
Fiji Blue was recently in the Philippines for his “Glide Asia Tour” show, presented by Wilbros Live, at the Samsung Hall in SM Aura. He had also performed in Manila back in 2022.
“I’m always happy to be back here… because it’s always the energy, the people, the love (of the Filipino fans). It’s different. It’s really amazing,” he shared.
“I truly can’t put it into words. The love here is unbelievable — from the social messages when I had only 100 followers to now seeing people downstairs waiting for the show and meeting them afterward. It’s everything,” he added.
He expressed his gratitude for his Filipino fans, who have supported him from the start. “I’ll never take a second for granted here. Filipinos are the best. I feel like my Fiji Blue universe started here — with the fan club in the Philippines, which I love so much. The love here is so special. I’m grateful every day for my Filipino fans,” he concluded.
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