Casual Healing – Tell The Truth: 13th Floor New Song Of The Day
Pōneke-based soulful musician Nikau Te Huki (Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Wairarapa) known to audiences as Casual Healing, has released Tell The Truth – the second single from his final of four EPs embodying the elements. AHI (fire), HAU (wind), WAI (water) and completing the ambitious cycle, ONE (earth) in March 2026 are inspired by Te Taiao – the natural world.
Here is the blurb with more:
Tell the Truth is the second single from Casual Healing’s EP – ONE (pronounced awe-ne). The fourth and final chapter of the elemental series is a timeless live performance of five new songs written by Nikau Te Huki.
In a classic Aotearoa Roots/Reggae style, Casual Healing provides the latest chapter of the book with Tell the Truth. Born from the guilt of telling a lie, this song was written in the hopes of encouraging the truth in our lives.
“I lied to my insurance company and it backfired, I decided that day that the truth is the way. The world is full of illusion, smoke and mirrors – so let the truth of the kick and snare shatter the mirror and defuse the smoke.”
Recorded by Mike Gibson at Massey Studio – Tell The Truth features an 11-piece band including Luther Hunt, Becky Devine, Sammy Lenati, Joseph Jenkins, Matiu Te Huki, Rudy Matoi, Jordan Gray, Toby Leman, Kaito Walley and Mysty Cooke. Nikau is stoked to have finally broken free from the boundaries of bedroom recording to produce a full band sound, live and direct as an ode to the trail blazers of recorded music.
2025 was a significant year for Casual Healing – writing, recording and releasing his four carefully curated studio EPs that aim to redefine his creative path – and have already been met with acclaim and great warmth from both listeners and the Aotearoa media database.
For over 10 years, Nikau Te Huki has embedded human and spiritual intimacy and connection into the foundation of his artistry. The result has yielded incredible musical results that have mirrored life experiences loved, lived and learned from. His solo project Casual Healing made a stunning debut with the 2024 album DRIFTWOOD, which led to sold-out tours and standout performances at SXSW Sydney, Rhythm & Vines, TSB Festival of Lights and more.
Casual Healing is blazing a trail nationwide to indigenise and revitalise the practise of puoro (music). Leading from the heart as an advocate for musicians and artists of all mediums to be valued as practitioners who provide an essential service, claiming – “it’s art that makes the world go around”.
