Miss French – Far Away: 13th Floor New Song Of The Day

Miss French would like to share with you a gorgeous song from her new album The Trials and Tribulations of Miss French Part Two: ‘Far Away’.

Here’s the blurb with more:

“Miss French steps well away from the Pasifika music of the band (Te Vaka) and into the world of originals which are closer to orchestrated and swinging Broadway-like show tunes, sassy ballads and some pointed lyrics…’Far Away’ is a fine slice of MOR pop for radio…” – Graham Reid, Elsewhere

“‘Far Away’ is a light and flighty love song, celebrating the joy of connection, that euphoric isolated bubble of I’ve-only-got-eyes-for-you love, sung with passion and gusto.” – Peter K. Malthus, Muzic.net.nz

Who is Miss French?

She has toured 40 countries for almost 30 years, taking Pacific music to the world as the manager of internationally acclaimed South Pacific band, Te Vaka. Amazingly, 2025 marks Te Vaka’s 30th anniversary.

After seeing Te Vaka signed to Walt Disney Pictures for the animated musical feature film, Moana, Julie Foai – aka Miss French – realised that her vision for the group was achieved (for now).

The time seemed right for her to pick up where she left off in her own musical journey. Foai’s debut album The Trials and Tribulations of Miss French Part One, an album of original songs in the vein of jazz, blues and cabaret, was released in 2016 to a very warm reception.

“I loved this album through and through…The lyrics, the harmony…it is a delight to listen to. Well done to Miss French.” – Amazon listener review

After eight years, and many adventures, Miss French has launched The Trials and Tribulations of Miss French Part Two into the world.

Both Parts One and Two were produced by internationally acclaimed songwriter Opetaia Foai, who is currently signed to Walt Disney Pictures and working alongside Mark Mancina on Moana 2 (due for release on November 27th this year). He also co-wrote a number of songs on both albums.

‘Far Away’

Miss French says, “‘Far Away’ was the first song Opetaia and I wrote together, possibly influenced by Dee Dee Bridgewater, who I had been listening to around that time.

We performed it live with a full band at Sweetwaters music festival in 1983. I guess you could call it a love song – “that Euphoric isolated bubble” described by Peter K Malthus in his recent album review.”

The first two singles from The Trials and Tribulations of Miss French Part Two are also well worth a listen:

‘Coffee’s Getting Cold’
“I’m a big fan of the Blues – artists like Billie Holliday and Robert Johnson. On this track I was lucky enough to have Opetaia play the blues guitar for me which makes this track super special. Having double bass, trombones and a full string section together with some of Sydney’s best singers on BVs really gets the track rocking. “Don’t let your coffee get cold” is a metaphor for “don’t let your dreams get old, don’t wait until it is too late, just do it”. – Miss French

‘By Their Actions’
The first single from The Trials and Tribulations of Miss French Part Two, ‘By Their Actions’ is a reggae track, and  little different to the rest of the album.

“When I joined my first band at age 18, Bob Marley and the Wailers had just released Catch a Fire. Instrumentally, this is not your classic reggae track. As well as bass, drums, keyboard and electric guitars, it has flute, clarinet, saxophone, violins, a viola and a cello. Having Olivia (daughter Olivia Foai, who sings the opening song ‘Tulou Tagaloa’ in the Moana movie) improvise a vocal outro at the end was great too. To me, the message of the song is simple but important. Take time to observe what people do rather than just listening to what they tell you.” – Miss French

Check out the making of: The Trials & Tribulations of Miss French Part Two:

Find The Trials and Tribulations of Miss French Part Two:

On YouTube

On Spotify

Visit Miss French‘s website

About Miss French

Of European decent, Miss French (aka Julie Foai), was born in Aotearoa New Zealand to a musical family who decided to quit the rat race and move to Laingholm, in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s Waitakere ranges.

Here she immersed herself in the magical world of the native New Zealand bush, a world of daydreams and adventures. Her father, a jazz enthusiast, was not only a player of many instruments, including trumpet and double bass – he built instruments too.

Performing with her family at 10 years of age, and later in Auckland bands influenced by Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Billie Holiday and Joan Armatrading, Foai began writing songs from her own unique perspective. Teaming up with Opetaia Foai in her early twenties, the “Duo with a difference” performed for several years before founding Te Vaka in 1994.

Visit the Miss French website

About Te Vaka

Formed in 1995, Te Vaka is a contemporary Polynesian band acclaimed for its distinct original sound, and its devotion to the South Pacific and the stories of its ancestors.

Viewed as ambassadors for the South Pacific, the band, led by Opetaia Foai, has performed at many major sporting events including the Beijing and London Olympics, the Rugby World Cup in Paris and the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

In August of 2017, after the success of the Moana film, Walt Disney Records released Te Vaka’s Greatest Hits – Songs that Inspired Moana. This album included a bonus track, ‘Lakalaka’ – the song’s music video played for 6 months in Disneyland resorts around the world.

Graham Reid says at AudioCulture, “The story of the pan-Pacific sound of Te Vaka began at an ordinary kitchen table in Laingholm, West Auckland in the mid 1990s when Opetaia Foai’s wife Julie – Te Vaka’s longtime manager – wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to her husband and the three musicians in the nascent band.
It read, “Target: take this music to the world””.
Read Graham Reid’s profile of Te Vaka here.

Visit the Te Vaka website 

The Trials and Tribulations of Miss French Part One (2016)

This collection of 12 original tracks written by Miss French was recorded live in Studios 301 with a 15-piece ensemble made up of Sonic Mayhem Orchestra, a string quartet, plus some Sydney’s finest including jazz pianist Greg Coffin and double bass player Steve Elphick.

The album was produced by award-winning internationally acclaimed songwriter Opetaia Foa’i who says, “Working on the Miss French album with James Ryan (musical arranger and conductor) and all these awesome musicians has been a lot of fun. I think people will be pleasantly surprised with the quality of both the song writing and instrumentation of this album”.

Reviews:

“From the fabulous beginning of the first track with all that brass intro I was bowled over. Congratulations – I really really enjoy listening to it, very much like the singing ‘style’ and I think there are some really great songs on there” – Barbara Ewing – Author and Actress.

”Blowsy Burlesqueness…razzle the dazzle big band brass. Vocal not dissimilar to Katie Melua.” – Fiona Ord-Shrimpton – Allaboutjazz USA

Listen to The Trials and Tribulations of Miss French Part One