28 April 2023 - 0 Comments

They've toured with the Wu Tang Clan, released music to a fanbase across Europe, recorded an album with Montreal based producer ‘ghostnaut’, released tracks with US hip-hop icons ‘The Nujabes’ and ‘Mr J Medeiros’, played over 100 live shows in NZ and Australia whilst clocking up 1.5M+ streams… Aotearoa’s premier Hip-Hop collective return for 2023 with big plans for Simple Times!

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Hailing from five cities across both islands, Six children and now a Fourth album in the works, this award winning, and ever changing band returns, bigger and better than ever, with a brand new single for 2023. Raw Collective’s Simple Times is due for release on April 28th and is the first release off their highly anticipated 4th album, due for release later this year!

“Either built for the hard times, or built for the simple times” states the chorus in Raw Collective’s latest single; the song is a testimony to the effort and ‘hard times’ that go into a project such as this band, juxtaposed with the more simpler times in life.

Heading into their eighth year the crew have not only grown up together, but seen babies born, moving houses and careers all in the mix.

This song has been described as a classic Raw Co sound, up beat, uplifting, but also heavy and grimey. Lush keyboard chords played beautifully by Wellington music legend Ayrton Foot who mingles in with Raw Deezys rare sample loops. The chorus has a sing along Nate Dogg feel to it, and the bassline wavers like a siren, a warning this is an absolute banger!

It's been two years since their last album and now, spread across NZ, the crew are back in their Wellington studio, writing and recording their next album due out at the end of the year.

The same core writing team from Wellington, that got together for a one off show in 2014, have stuck it out through the hard times, for their love of creating music together.

“We wanted to come back with a track that showed this, staying true to our unique sound, and showing off how well refined our song writing has become” says Raw Deezy, the bands producer and emcee.

Raw is doing all the band’s production and mixing in Nelson where he currently resides with a 4 month old baby in tow. This track in particular was co written with local singer / songwriter Dylan Hanson, another writing partner in the mix as the collective expands.

The recording process was made possible by Blain Fitzpatrick, their bass playing maestro who held onto the band house / recording studio in Vogeltown, Wellington, And with the horn section led by long time member and legendary serial musician, Ben Hunt, who also features and plays in bands L.A.B, Shapeshifter and The Black Seeds.

In recent years, Incredible saxophonist Eilish Wilson has furthered her career, pursuing music in Los Angeles! Simple Times features her awesome sax solo, which was recorded while overseas in the US.

Their latest, but far from least, recruitment, is Wellington’s incredibly talented Eliza Pickard, who Raw Co have enlisted as their newest singer. Eliza takes this track to new heights with her aromatic, warm, bright vocal tones, along with guest lyric / songwriter Dylan Hanson singing BVs underneath, it's one of those choruses that will have you singing along all day……

Every year is a different show and 2023 is even more packed with extra talent! A super band requires a super effort, all whilst appreciating the ‘Simple Times’ and this track celebrates the fact… it’s good to be back!

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