I'm with the band: Sons of Zion's Joel Latimer

"Nothing says summer more than hitting the road in a van with your best mates, to the best summer spots in NZ!"Joel Latimer says. Photo / Supplied

Sons of Zion have gigs at the Opononi Hotel and a first-ever show in Wanaka on their summer tour schedule and will be playing in Riwaka for New Year's.

What is your preferred mode of travel for the summer tour?

Nothing says summer more than hitting the road in a van with your best mates, to the best summer spots in NZ!

Do you roll with tapes, CDs, iPod, smartphone with a Spotify playlist, or guitar, who's in charge of the selections, and what are you likely to hear?

We tend to share DJ responsibilities on the road with our phones. By the end of the tour we have covered nearly every genre of music known to man. But our favourites tend to be some good summer reggae tunes by our favourite NZ bands, and some smooth neo-soul goodness from the likes of D'Angelo, and Musiq Soulchild etc.

What and where is your favourite summer venue?

Opononi Hotel is still one of our most favourite summer venues. So we are stoked to be heading back there on this summer tour! Some of our best memories are listening to Katchafire and Kora to the beautiful backdrop of the Hokianga Harbour, so to be playing the same venue with the same bands is special for us.

Apart from the gigs, where else are you looking forward to stopping along your tour route?

We are playing in Wanaka for the first time ever and are in Riwaka the next night. We aren't looking forward to the long travel but we are excited to see a lot of the South Island that a few of the boys haven't seen before.

Do you have a go-to vendor for a great feed?

The morning after each show we will always find a local cafe and order Eggs Benedict. You could say some of us are on a quest for the best Eggs Benny in NZ!

Best spot for a quick dip in the ocean, or an inviting swimming hole?

Bombs off the wharf in Opononi, jumping off the bridge at McLaren Falls, Dickeys Flat in Waihi, are all some of our favourite spots.

What song will you be playing to really get the crowd going?

Running, Be My Lady, and Stuck On Stupid are all crowd favourites but we have a few new songs we will be pulling out for this summer tour that we feel will really get the crowd going!

What are your plans for New Year's Eve?

We will be jamming at the Riwaka Hotel alongside Katchafire and The Black Seeds! Pretty dope line-up if we must say so ourselves, hehe.

Do you have any New Years traditions?

No specific traditions other than having a few good brews with some good company welcoming in the new year to some great NZ music.

Who's on your ideal summer music fest dream team lineup?

An all-star NZ line-up would be dope. Katchafire, The Black Seeds, Kora, Ladi6, Six60, Shapeshifter, Shihad, Fat Freddy's Drop, David Dallas. We would love to sneak our name into that line-up too.

What's your best summer road trip anecdote?

Never trust our drummer Zane to drive a van full of hungover boys to the next show. You'll end up on the Forgotten Highway for hours passing the numerous Saddles along that road. Possibly the worst drive between shows we've ever had! Lol.