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 Panapa 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,” he said.
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 a creative base because of its strong reggae influence and the band’s connection to the place and the people. It’s a place where the band have a massive following, are regularly featured 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,” Sadgrove said.
“From the very first time we came to Hawaii we realised how big reggae is there,” Panapa said.
“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 reggae-dedicated radio stations,” he said.
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”.
Sadgrove said people often knew 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,” Panapa said.
“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 said.
“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,” Latimer said.
“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,” Eriwata said.
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 home-grown fans react to their new, Hawaiian-influenced music.
