Music News - Sons of Zion set to release new music as independent artists for first time in 15 years
17 November 2022 - 0 Comments
It has been 15 years since Sons of Zion last released music without the backing of a record label - and they’re about to return to their roots as freshly inspired independent artists.
Armed with an opportunity to take full control of their work, Sons of Zion (Riapo Panapa, Sam Eriwata, Joel Latimer and Matt Sadgrove) have embraced their new status and are set to release two new tracks with heavy international influence.
After a short writers’ camp in Hawaii in August, Sons of Zion came away with two songs they wanted to craft for release, along with the makings of their new album, new connections and exciting collaborations.
The first of these tracks is One Night, which will be released on all platforms this Friday, November 18. One Night is about the excitement that comes with the start of a relationship and how taking just one risk can lead to a magical life-changing experience.
The second single, On My Way, features Hawaiian reggae royalty The Green, with the addition of the ukulele as a tribute to Hawaii. The lighthearted track, which is scheduled for release before Christmas, tells the story of a man trying to dip out on a boys’ night to get home to his partner and includes what Riapo describes as “a typical guitar party strum”.
“That was a very intentional move and I think it kind of joins how we jam back home and how they jam in Hawaii,” Riapo says.
Last week Sons of Zion returned to Hawaii to record both tracks, which will form part of the band’s next album. Like the first two singles, the album was written in Hawaii with award-winning Hawaiian producer, close friend and former member of Kolohe Kai, Noah Cronin in his studio in Oahu.
Hawaii was chosen as Sons of Zion’s creative base due to its strong reggae influence and the band’s connection to the place and the people. It’s a place where the band has a massive following, regularly features on radio stations, and where they have performed in front of tens of thousands of people at massive festivals such as Mayjah Rayjah.
“We just feel like home here but it's also an inspiring place. It feels homely so you're not disconnected but there aren’t the distractions of home, so I think it's just easy for us to be comfortable and create and be inspired here,” Matt says.
“From the very first time we came to Hawaii we realised how big reggae is there," Riapo says.
"Although we venture out on our music, the foundation of what we do is very much reggae-based so I think that's inspiring in itself - you turn the radio on there, and there are six or seven different reggae-dedicated radio stations,” he says.
Sons of Zion have cemented themselves as one of New Zealand’s biggest live acts, but they’ll often refer to themselves as “the biggest New Zealand band that no one’s heard of”. Matt says they’ve claimed this title because so often people know their music but not the band behind those songs.
As independent artists, the responsibility of what they do now falls solely on the band and while that may seem alarming to some, the Sons of Zion crew are excited. Their break from Sony is not a hostile one, instead being centred on the musicians’ desires to have more freedom and flexibility in their musical journey.
“Being independent now for the first time in many years is exciting. I always try to think of things in a positive light. I think it's a great opportunity to explore and not be put in any confinements or boxes, we can just experiment and try things which I think is awesome especially now we’re getting older and the window’s getting smaller,” Riapo says.
“It’s the freedom to do what we want really, how we want to do it and the only people that really have to like it is us to start with, and then we’ll find our tribe,” he says.
“We're all in a great headspace right now, willing to put in the work, and willing to sacrifice again what we've already sacrificed for in the past. The boys are just willing to do whatever it takes for a project that is completely ours,” Joel says.
“We’re excited about this next step. We just hope the content we come up with the people will enjoy just as much as when we were signed,” Sam says.
“What I'm excited about for any project is whether someone’s going to feel it, is it going to make a poignant moment in their life? Are they going to make memories to this song? Are their kids going to sing these songs? That’s the real prize for what we do,” Matt says.
This week, Sons of Zion returned to New Zealand ahead of the release of their first single as independent artists in 15 years - and they’re looking forward to seeing how their homegrown fans react to their new Hawaiian-influenced music.
Most Viewed Artists
Latest Galleries
NZ Top 10 Singles
- APT.
ROSÉ And Bruno Mars - DIE WITH A SMILE
Lady Gaga And Bruno Mars - BIRDS OF A FEATHER
Billie Eilish - TASTE
Sabrina Carpenter - I LOVE YOU, I'M SORRY
Gracie Abrams - ESPRESSO
Sabrina Carpenter - SAILOR SONG
Gigi Perez - LOSE CONTROL
Teddy Swims - A BAR SONG (TIPSY)
Shaboozey - GOOD LUCK, BABE!
Chappell Roan
More Content on muzic.net.nz
Google Site Search
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report A Problem
There are currently no comments for this article. Please log in to add new comments.