Gin Wigmore Returns to New Zealand, Opens Deli and Readies New Album 'Beautiful Mess'

Key facts

• Gin Wigmore returned to New Zealand in late 2024 after 13 years living in Los Angeles.
• She has opened a delicatessen in Auckland's Kingsland, selling sandwiches.
• Wigmore released a new single, 'Country Diamond', on an unspecified date.
• Her upcoming album is titled 'Beautiful Mess' and covers the last five years of her life.
• She has over 630 million global streams and a catalogue of multi-platinum releases.
• Wigmore separated from her husband and is currently going through a divorce.

A Homecoming After a Decade and a Half Abroad

Gin Wigmore, the raspy-voiced New Zealand singer-songwriter who spent 13 years building a career in Los Angeles, has returned to her home country. She arrived back in late 2024, drawn by a longing for the environment she grew up in and a desire to raise her children there. “I felt like I needed, I missed New Zealand, I missed my roots,” Wigmore said in an interview. “I missed having my kids grow up in this environment... there’s something about the freedom of that sort of childhood that was getting less, it was getting harder to do in Los Angeles.” Her return marks the end of a long chapter abroad. She had moved to LA when pregnant with her second child and, at one point, ran a hotel in Santa Monica.

A New Single and a Forthcoming Album

Wigmore has released a new single, 'Country Diamond', a stripped-back track built around hazy, melancholic guitar lines. The song leans into nostalgia, tracing memories of her upbringing while exploring the pull of life's 'what ifs'. “One person or moment can change your life forever. So I began daydreaming about what could have been… what life could have possibly looked like now if I had followed that road,” Wigmore said of the release. The single offers a glimpse into her upcoming album, 'Beautiful Mess', which she describes as her “most fearless body of work yet”. The album channels the highlights and lowlights of her life over the past five years. “Together it’s like a whole complete world of what my life... a snapshot of my world for the last five years or so,” she explained.

A Delicatessen in Kingsland

Perhaps unexpectedly, Wigmore has also ventured into the food business. She opened a delicatessen in Auckland's Kingsland, slinging sandwiches — or 'sandos' — to locals. The move reflects her desire to put down roots in a tangible way after years of transience. It has been eight years since Wigmore released an album, but even amid her other ventures, music remains central. “Music’s amazing in that it always catches me in my worst moments,” she said. “Sometimes I’ve likened it to a really toxic boyfriend — kind of like this player that I’m seeing — and then sometimes it’s just this really steady go-to that always catches me in my worst, hardest moments.”

Divorce and a Good Relationship with Her Ex

Wigmore is currently in the midst of a divorce from her husband, whom she separated from after realising she was not content with her life and marriage. Despite the split, she says they maintain a good relationship. “We were just kids when we met and we couldn’t, couldn’t evolve together,” she told an interviewer. “And we’re two lead singers – I mean it was sort of destined to f***ing fail in some fiery emotional explosion, and so, y’know, we kind of, we called it.” The divorce is part of the emotional landscape that feeds into 'Beautiful Mess', which Wigmore describes as a complete world of her life's experiences.

A Career Spanning Nearly Two Decades

Wigmore first gained international attention nearly two decades ago, and her career has since amassed over 630 million global streams. Her catalogue includes multi-platinum releases and major sync placements, cementing her status as one of New Zealand's most enduring musical exports. With 'Country Diamond', she signals a softer, more reflective direction, but her signature raspy vocal remains intact. The return feels considered rather than nostalgic, as she enters a new chapter both personally and professionally.

What Comes Next

Wigmore's upcoming album 'Beautiful Mess' is expected to be released later this year, though no specific date has been announced. The single 'Country Diamond' is available now, offering a taste of what is to come. Meanwhile, her delicatessen in Kingsland continues to operate, a symbol of her new life rooted in New Zealand. As she navigates divorce and a return to music, Wigmore appears to be embracing both the mess and the beauty of her current chapter.

The bottom line

• Gin Wigmore has returned to New Zealand after 13 years in Los Angeles, citing a desire to raise her children in a freer environment.
• She has released a new single, 'Country Diamond', and is preparing her first album in eight years, titled 'Beautiful Mess'.
• Wigmore has opened a delicatessen in Auckland's Kingsland, selling sandwiches.
• She is going through a divorce but maintains a good relationship with her ex-husband.
• Her career spans nearly two decades with over 630 million global streams and multi-platinum sales.
• The upcoming album 'Beautiful Mess' is described as her most fearless work yet, covering the last five years of her life.