Taite Music Prize winners Street Chant might get band back together

Emily Edrosa, Billie Rogers and Christopher Varnham make up Street Chant. Photo / Supplied

Fresh from their Taite Music Prize triumph, the band Street Chant are considering reviving their career.

Frontwoman Emily Edrosa says the band may return after beginning an indefinite hiatus last year.

Edrosa moved to Los Angeles last year to pursue a solo career but says it was well before the Taite Prize win that she considered reviving the band.

Street Chant won the coveted award on Tuesday night for their album Hauora.

"I was having reservations when we did our last tour, because this album was just so heavy to create," Edrosa said.

"I'd sort of decided that the band was going to break up before the album even came out, but then once it came out, it was like this weight had been lifted and it was fun again.

"I don't know if I want to get the band back together per se, but I would like to have a third album because trilogies are cool."

Edrosa says winning the prize from Los Angeles is "weird", despite it fulfilling an ambition expressed when the album was being written.

"I didn't go to the ceremony and I haven't seen the award or anything like that, so it's just a bit weird because my life is just - I don't know if my life would have changed that much anyway, but for me it's a text message, as opposed to a moment.

"But I'm really happy; I remember when we were recording this album, I would say, 'I want it to win the Silver Scroll and the Taite award.'

"We were in the top five for Silver Scroll and then now we've won the Taite, and it's sort of weird because it's like everything I've wanted from this album has kind of happened."

Asked about using the prize money, Edrosa said, "We haven't talked about it. Probably buy some studio time when they are here in LA next month. Or maybe just pay rent and buy groceries for a bit. It's expensive here in LA, almost as expensive as Auckland."

Edrosa is about to record her solo record with a drummer she met in Los Angeles after playing her first solo show. She had already recorded the album on her own, but says the new studio means it will sound "way better than what I had done".

"Everyone here is so professional," she says. "Musicians have business cards. I'd love to just do another scrappy guitar pop album in New Zealand with my band."