11 July 2024 - 0 Comments

Ōtautahi legends Dillastrate have today released a special new waiata, Māwherangi.

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This new waiata has emerged following a run of heavy-hitting waiata reo Māori releases, including Ko Tātou Te Ahi (selected as the international theme song for New Zealand Cricket (Black Caps and White Ferns), Hot 20 NZ Singles, RadioScope Te Reo Māori & Alt, Waiata Anthems, Te Māngai Pāho), which Rolling Stone AUS/NZ featured as a “Song You Need To Know”. Māwherangi is another release that showcases what incredible artists Dillastrate’s Henare ‘H‘ Kaa (lead vocals/drums) and Tim Driver (keys/bass synth/loops/vocals) are.

Connecting with Dillastrate’s background as stalwart writers and session musicians in the New Zealand roots scene, the track captures an uptempo reggae flavour, filtered through a modern production approach. The waiata balances warm keyboard layers against a dense and heavy rhythm section, with H’s voice soaring above and carrying the narrative of the waiata. The sonic landscape serves as a hat tip to the reggae/roots music that has inspired and underpinned Dillastrate’s musical journey to-date.

Māwherangi is about social disconnection and the importance of looking out and caring for those lost souls that just can’t seem to find their way back into the fold. It tells the story of the hawk soaring through the skies that, while a taonga and a majestic creature, carries a burden of loneliness that cannot be easily shaken. Through the narrative, the listener witnesses the journey of the hawk and connects with its flight through empty skies as it searches for its identity and home. Made with support from Te Māngai Pāho, the waiata also took inspiration from the band’s kaupapa and mission to support and uplift te ao Māori.

A forthcoming video to accompany the kaupapa of the waiata is also set to be released in the coming weeks – stay tuned for more details!

Born from the late great Aaron Tokona’s AHoriBuzz, Dillastrate have been making waves since the release of their 2017 EP, Black Diamond. Māwherangi joins previous releases Taku Ngākau (Te Māngai Pāho) and previous release Ko Tātou Te Ahi (theme song for international New Zealand Cricket, Hot 20 NZ Singles Chart, RadioScope Te Reo Māori & Alt Charts, Te Māngai Pāho) as fantastic addition in their quest to uplift te ao Māori, joining bilingual hit Party In My Head (Tāwara Ana), and waiata Taku Aroha (RadioScope Te Reo Māori Chart, NZOA, Te Māngai Pāho). It is also joining other recent releases - pop hit ‘I’m Crazy’ (Hot 20 NZ Singles, NZ on Air New Tracks) and single Way To Flow (NZOA New Tracks). As well as recording artists, their experience as live musicians include extensive festival, headline and support tours - seeing the duo playing repeatedly to crowds of over 20,000. A live Dillastrate performance is a finely-tuned and explosive experience that can transform entire venue crowds from stationery to dancing their- asses-off in a matter of seconds. They’ve featured on national TV, commercial, iwi and alternative radio, boast a strong digital presence, and have placed in both the Official NZ Top 20 Singles and RadioScope charts multiple times. With much more on its way, Dillastrate are always ones to watch!

Māwherangi was made thanks to funding made available by Te Māngai Pāho. Produced by Connor Jaine (Mako Road, No Cigar) at CJ's Studio, Ashburton, and mastered by Benny Tones at Organik Muzik Workz, Wellington. Pitching and publicity services were provided by Acts Agency, with additional support from FiveAM Music. Distributed by Waave. Cover art by Paris Tutty Design.

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