Gin Wigmore facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gin Wigmore
Wigmore performing in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Virginia Claire Wigmore
Born	(1986-06-06) 6 June 1986 (age 39) Auckland, New Zealand
Genres	Blues rock, pop rock, alternative rock
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, keyboards
Years active	2008–present
Labels	Island, Dangerbird
Associated acts	Smashproof, The Cardinals, Letlive

Virginia Claire Wigmore (born on June 6, 1986) is a talented singer and songwriter from New Zealand. She is known for her unique voice, which is often described as high-pitched and raspy.

Gin Wigmore first became famous in 2009. She was featured on the song "Brother" by the group Smashproof. Since then, she has released four successful albums. These include Holy Smoke (2009), Gravel & Wine (2011), Blood to Bone (2015), and Ivory (2018). Her first three albums even reached the top of the New Zealand Albums Chart!

Gin Wigmore's Music Journey

Winning a Songwriting Contest

When Gin was 14, she wrote her first song called "Angelfire." She was inspired by an album called White Ladder by David Gray. A few years later, after her father passed away, she wrote "Hallelujah" as a tribute to him.

Her sister secretly entered "Hallelujah" into a big contest. It was called the International Songwriting Competition in the United States. In 2004, Gin won the Grand Prize! She beat 11,000 other songwriters from 77 countries. She was the youngest person ever to win this award without having a record deal. She also won the "Teen" category with her song "Angelfire."

Her First Album: Extended Play

Gin's first official music release was an EP (which stands for "Extended Play"). It was simply called Extended Play. This EP came out in 2008. It included popular songs like "Hallelujah" and "Under My Skin." A famous Australian musician, John Butler, even played the ukulele on her song "SOS."

Extended Play was a hit in New Zealand. It reached number ten on the music charts. It sold over 15,000 copies, earning a "Platinum" award. The song "Under My Skin" was also used in a cool advertising campaign for Air New Zealand.

Holy Smoke and More Hits

In 2009, Gin released her first full album, Holy Smoke. She recorded it with a band called The Cardinals. The first song from the album, "Oh My", quickly became popular. It reached number four on the New Zealand Singles Chart.

Other songs from Holy Smoke also did well. "I Do" reached number 14, and "Hey Ho" was close behind at number 21. You might have heard "Oh My" as the theme song for the TV show The Almighty Johnsons. "Hey Ho" was also featured in the TV series Weeds. Her song "Don't Stop" was used in commercials for the home improvement store Lowe's.

Gravel & Wine and New Sounds

For her second album, Gravel & Wine, Gin traveled to Mississippi and Alabama. She wanted to find inspiration from the music and culture of the Southern United States. She then recorded the album in California.

Gravel & Wine was released in 2011. The first song, "Black Sheep," was very popular. The album itself went straight to number one in New Zealand! Many of Gin's songs from this album were used in TV shows. "Black Sheep" appeared in Grey's Anatomy, Teen Wolf, and The Good Wife.

Another song, "Kill of the Night," was also featured in Teen Wolf and Pretty Little Liars. You might have heard it in commercials for Alfa Romeo cars or Nationwide Insurance. Gin even performed "Man Like That" in a commercial for Heineken beer, which also featured James Bond actor Daniel Craig!

Gin Wigmore performing in 2015

Blood to Bone and New Collaborations

Gin started working on her third album, Blood to Bone, in 2014. It was released in June 2015. This album was another big success for her. It was her third album in a row to reach number one in New Zealand! It also did very well in Australia.

Her song "New Rush" was included in the video game FIFA 16. Gin also released a song called "Willing To Die." It featured American rapper Logic and Australian rapper Suffa.

Ivory and Family Inspiration

In 2016, Gin announced she was working on her fourth album. The first song from it, "Dirty Mercy," came out that year. She described the album as a mix of different music styles.

In 2017, Gin gave a talk at TEDxScottBase in Antarctica! There, she shared another new song called "Thoughts of You." She also released "Hallow Fate," a song about artists being unique.

Her fourth album, Ivory, was released in April 2018. It was named after her son, even though she wrote all the songs before he was born.

Other Projects

Gin has also worked with Air New Zealand on several projects. She sang "Tomorrow" for their "Where to Next" ad campaign. Her song "Under My Skin" was used for their "Nothing to Hide" campaign. In 2017, she sang "My Little Corner of the World" for a special flight safety video.

Gin Wigmore's Life

Gin Wigmore was born in Auckland, New Zealand. She has two older siblings. Her brother, Oliver, is a scientist. Her sister, Lucy Wigmore, is an actress. Lucy is known for her role in the New Zealand TV show Shortland Street.

In September 2014, Gin married Jason Aalon Butler. He is the lead singer of the band Letlive. They had their first son, Pascal Nashoba Butler, on September 7, 2017. Their second son, Izaiah River Butler, was born on March 20, 2020.

Gin is a vegetarian. In 2015, she was even nominated for an award for "New Zealand's Hottest Vegetarians"! Gin and her husband live in Palm Springs, California. They also run a small hotel there.

Concert Tours

Gin Wigmore has toured many times, sharing her music with fans around the world. Here are some of her tours:

• Tour with Jimmy Barnes (2009)
• Holy Smoke Tour (2010)
• The Grave Train National Tour (2010)
• Gin Wigmore (2011)
• The Winery Tour (2012)
• Vans Warped Tour – United States (2013)
• Homegrown Festival NZ (2014)
• New Rush NZ Tour (2015)
• Blood to Bone Tour (2015)
• Willing to Die U.S. Tour (2016)
• Let it Ride U.S. Tour (2016)
• Ivory U.S. Tour (2018)
• Ivory NZ Tour (2019)
• Gin Wigmore with Tami Neilson and Hollie Smith — New Zealand (2020)
• Summer Concert Tour NZ (2021)
• Peachy Keen Festival (2021)

Music Releases

Gin Wigmore has released four studio albums and several EPs and singles. Her albums often reach the top of the charts in New Zealand.

Music Videos

Gin has also created many music videos for her songs. Here are some of them:

Awards and Recognitions

Gin Wigmore has won many awards for her music. Here are some of her achievements: