Sons of Zion: musical inspirations, producing, and music overseas
Source: Derek Truninger / Unsplash.
Canta Digital Editor Nikki Clarke recently had the opportunity for a sit down chat with none other than Sons of Zion during their recent trip to Ōtautahi, where they revealed all from their dream collab, to when we can expect some epic new music. Here’s what they had to say.
The iconic, six-man kiwi band found its’ roots in Pakuranga, Auckland, in 2007. Since then, the group have toured Aotearoa many a time, played festivals across the globe, and produced three studio albums.
According to the band, they started out as mates who loved reggae, looking up to bands like Kora and KATCHAFIRE, attributing influence to both.
“Over the years, just our wider diverse background of musical influences just started playing a role in what sort of music we liked to listen to, and what we sort of wanted to create,” they told Canta.
“We’ve always loved pop music and R&B music and rock and all that sort of stuff, so we’ve never tried to limit ourselves on what we can create … We’ve just been making that if we like it then hopefully other people will.”
While making a name for yourself as a band in Aotearoa can be tricky, let alone in the rest of the world, Sons of Zion said aspects like help from friends and a gap in the market made getting started a little easier.
“Starting out it was a bit easier for us, just from having a lot of friends, not so much in the industry, but just like one or two family friends that kind of could help us out in a key area, being able to have someone that could be like ‘oh I can chuck you on a tv interview this weekend’ you know, a small spot on a small tv programme.”
Coupled with the fact that making music and putting it out there is more accessible nowadays than in the late 2000’s, Sons of Zion have now made a name for themselves in Australia, the states and more, with the US being the second highest of listeners on the bands’ Spotify statistics.
“It’s awesome to travel,” they said.
“A lot of the time when we go over there [the US], they don’t really link the name to the song until we play … the live shows are sort of our strong point.”
They attributed artists like KATCHAFIRE and Koru as creating a name for New Zealand music in the global space.
In terms of writing music nowadays, the band do a lot remotely, as there are spread out over Australia and NZ.
“A lot of its kind of just sent back and forth now a days, we don’t really get in the studio together very often. Usually, it’ll be someone will write a demo or an idea and bring it to the group, and then we’ll kind of add out parts to it, add our two cents and then we might get a studio for a week or go and do a writing trip or something.”
In terms of when we can expect to see some new music coming from Sons of Zion, they told Canta to look out for some singles, one which could be called Waiting by the Bar, set to come out within the next month or so.
They also mentioned a Love on the Run part two.
On the topic of the studio, Canta asked the band who their dream collab would feature. The answer was a resounding Bruno Mars.
“Like the best voice I’ve ever heard,” they said.
“Plus, he’s just a vibe … maybe we could be the band and he could sing the whole song.”
Performing live is a highlight for Sons of Zion, something that is unmatched.
“There’s certain days in the studio when you create the demo or something like that, those are real magic days … That stuff gets a bit boring after a while, but I don’t think playing like ever feels dull. It always kind of gives you that high that nothing else can give you,” one member said.
However, producing relatable music, which is significant to their audience is also an incredibly notable highlight.
On playing in Ōtautahi, the band said they appreciate the diverse crowds the garden city has.
“I think performing here in Christchurch, one good thing is there’s no real set demographic for us here. You know you’ve got all walks of life coming through those doors,” they said.
“We can kind of play all our catalogue.”