My Version chats to Kiwi stars and people of influence to give a glimpse into their time as a teen and see the things they are currently obsessed with!

This New Zealand Music Month, we are putting a focus on our country’s amazing up-and-comers.

Say hello to Rocket Berry lead singer, Clara van Wel.

Obsessed RN.

Currently bingeing:

Ted Lasso. Again.

Song on repeat:

All of Vera Ellen’s new album, Ideal Home Noise, but ‘Carpenter’ if I had to pick a track. Or ‘Smell of an Oily Rag’. Or ‘Prayer Ambulance’. Or ‘Broadway Junction’. Okay, I can’t pick a track.

Favourite Insta account to follow: 

Whoever posts those Wordart raccoons with anxiety.

Must have beauty product:

Grammarly.

The item of clothing I’m definitely over wearing:

How often are you supposed to change your underwear?

Currently reading:

I’m reading Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh with my eyes and listening to A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab with my ears.

Snacking on:

There’s a hummus shortage, so snacks are a sensitive issue for me right now.

Can’t stop watching on TikTok:

I spent forty-five minutes trying to think of a cool answer for this, but in all honesty I don’t remember the last time I watched a TikTok.

Dreaming of:

Universal Basic Income.

Next place on the list to travel to:

I’d love to walk the Camino de Santiago. Or sort of just disappear into some mountains for a bit and think about The Lord of the Rings.

I’m currently inspired by:

Any of my friends who not only create amazing art but create their own opportunities to share it with the world instead of waiting for permission.

My favourite way to relax is:

Reading. Or ironing. Am I a bad feminist?

I stay healthy by:

Blocking out time in my calendar when I’m not allowed to see anyone or do any work. Spending time with myself is really important.

When I was younger…

One thing I love about Gen-Z is:

This is a small thing, but I think it represents a broader culture of consent: I like it when people check in before delving into a heavy topic or ask if you are in a space to offer support. There’s a thoughtfulness there that I really admire.

If I could give my teenage self one bit of advice, what would it be:

Don’t abandon something just because you’re not immediately the best at it. Failure can be a good thing if you learn from it.

My dream job as a teen was:

I was obsessed with the idea of playing Jill Pole in The Silver Chair (yes, the Narnia film.) It was never made… so maybe I’m still in with a chance?

My favourite part of being a teenager was:

The years I spent not knowing I couldn’t eat wheat or dairy. I’m not saying the suffering was worth it, but ignorance is blissful (and delicious).

Best piece of advice I ever received as a teen was:

Life advice? You don’t have to do everything before you’re twenty. In terms of creativity: if you can’t hide something from an audience, take control by drawing attention to it.

My first job was:

Playing music at the farmers market on Sundays. This doesn’t sound very hardcore, but sometimes it was so cold that my fingers bled. That’s rock’n’roll baby.

My biggest inspiration was:

Bic Runga. And Aragorn. I wrote him a diary (but don’t tell Bic, she might get jealous).

My biggest fashion faux-pas was:

I had a truly criminal number of badges on my school blazer. Aside from being a fatal combination of nerdy and arrogant, in a lightning storm I would have been absolutely screwed.

Check out Rocket Berry’s new 80s inspired synth-pop single ‘Caught Up in the Fiction here.