Sons of Zion explained

Sons of Zion
Origin:Pakuranga, Auckland, New Zealand
Years Active:2007–present
Label:Sony Music New Zealand
Current Members:Samuel Eriwata, Rio Panapa, Joel Latimer, Matt Sadgrove, Ross Nansen, Caleb Haapu
Past Members:Dylan Stewart, Tawhiri Littlejohn, Harlem McKenzie, Phil Peters, Curtis Wiringi, Marika Hodgson, Zane Graham, Les Watene, Thabani Gapara, Christian Mausia[1]

Sons of Zion is a six-member New Zealand reggae band who formed in 2007 in Pakuranga, Auckland. They became widely famous in New Zealand in early 2018, due to the popularity of their single "Drift Away".

Biography

Band members Sam Eriwata and Joel Latimer grew up together in Auckland. They formed a youth band together when they attended Edgewater College in Pakuranga.[2] The trio met Rio Panapa, originally from Rotorua, through joint church services where bands from different chapters of their church performed.[2] Eventually Panapa moved to Auckland and joined Samuel Eriwata's youth band.[2]

The original line-up featured Rio Panapa as lead vocalist and guitarist, Samuel Eriwata on drums, Joel Latimer on keyboards and Dylan Stewart, a bassist who moved from Whangārei to Auckland to join the band.[2] The band won a competition to be the opening act at the Soundsplash Festival 2007 in Raglan, and hurriedly recorded an extended play so that they could release it at the festival.[2] Panapa had difficulties with the range of some of the songs during these sessions, so Eriwata also became a vocalist for the band.[2] The band later added Tawhiri Littlejohn as a permanent drummer as Eriwata took over more of the vocal duties, and Harlem McKenzie as a lead guitarist.[2]

In October 2009, the band released their self-titled debut album, and spent the next few years extensively touring New Zealand and Australia.[2] The band's singles "Good Love" (2012) and "Tell Her" (2013) received major radio airplay in New Zealand,[2] becoming their first songs to chart in New Zealand. Their second album Universal Love was a major hit, reaching number three in New Zealand.[3] At the 2014 Waiata Māori Music Awards, the video for the band's collaboration with Tomorrow People won the best video award.[2] Later that year, the band covered "Sensitive to a Smile" alongside other local reggae musicians such as Katchafire and Tomorrow People as a charity single to combat child abuse.[2]

The band's 2015 single "Stuck on Stupid" became popular internationally online,[2] especially in locations such as Hawaii where it was a local radio hit.[4] By 2015, the band's line-up had solidified as Eriwata, Panapa, Latimer, bassist Matt Sadgrove, Caleb Haapu of the band L40, and Ross Nansen of the Levites.[2] In the next few years, the band's popularity online was cemented by the includion of their songs such as "I'm Ready", "Fill Me Up" and "Now" featuring on major Australasian reggae Spotify playlists. In 2017, the band produced the Te Reo song "Wairua" by Maimoa, which became a viral hit.[2]

By 2017, the band began to experiment with genres outside of reggae, such as their collaboration "Is That Enough" with Aaradhna.[2] For the band's third album Vantage Point (2018), all members decided to quit their day-jobs to focus entirely on the band.[2] The first single from the album, "Drift Away", became a break-away hit for the group.[2] [4] The album was a success, becoming Platinum certified in New Zealand. The band toured internationally to promote the album.[5]

In 2020, Panapa became the host of the Māori Television show Lifted.[2]

Artistry

Sons of Zion write, produce and mix all of their music. In 2017, the band created their own recording studio, No Filter Studios in Auckland.[4]

Personal lives

Samuel Eriwata's father is Richard Eriwata,[2] a musician who became famous in the 1980s as a member of the musical theatre television show 12 Bar Rhythm 'n Shoes. Caleb Haapu's brother is singer-songwriter Seth Haapu.[2]

Eriwata, Latimer, Stewart and Littlejohn are of Ngāpuhi descent, while Panapa's background includes Te Arawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Waikato Tainui.[2]

Discography

Studio albums

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsCertifications
NZ
[6]
NZ
Artist

[7]
Sons of Zion
  • Released: October 2009[8]
  • Label: Sony Music New Zealand
  • Format: CD, digital download
Universal Love 3 3
Vantage Point
  • Released: 11 May 2018
  • Label: Sony
  • Format: CD, digital download, streaming
18 2
"—" denotes an album that did not chart.

Extended plays

TitleEP detailsPeak chart positions
NZ
Artist

Sons of Zion
  • Released: 2007[11]
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: CD
The Jukebox Suite
  • Released: 28 July 2017
  • Label: Sony
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
9
"—" denotes an extended play that did not chart.

Singles

As lead artist

TitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
NZ
NZ
Artist

[12]
"Waiting Right Here"[13]
2009Sons of Zion
"Be With You"
"Good Love"20127Universal Love
"Tell Her"20133
"Superman"
17 5
"The Weekend"
"Be My Lady"20146
"Stuck on Stupid"
4rowspan="5"
"I'm Ready"20154
"Fill Me Up"9
"Hungover"201618
"Now"
3
"Live It Up"2017The Jukebox Suite
"Is That Enough"
2The Jukebox Suite / Vantage Point
"Drift Away"201817 1 Vantage Point
"So Bright"[15]
"Leave with Me"[16] 13
"Come Home"20193 First XV
"Road Trip"10
"Break Up Song"2020
"Crazy"First XV
"Love on the Run"
202115 1
"Come to Bed"[20] 2022
"One Night"[21] 10
"Be with You" Sons of Zion
"Running"
"Homey Girl"
"On My Way"
202320rowspan="4"
"I Want More"
20
"See You Like I Do"2024
"We Ain't Coming Home"
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

As featured artist

TitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
NZ
NZ
Artist

"Be with You [Remix]"[23]
2013rowspan="2"
"Sensitive to a Smile"
2 1
"This Feeling"
2017Bass & Bassinets
"Help Me Out"
202017 6 Raplist
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

Other charted songs

TitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
NZ
Artist

"Potere Ana / Drift Away"[26] 20197Waiata / Anthems
"He Aroha Hinemoa / Love on the Run"
202113

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bio . https://web.archive.org/web/20090205101739/http://sonsofzion.co.nz/bio/ . 5 February 2009 . Sons of Zion . 5 December 2021.
  2. Web site: Sons of Zion. Gareth. Shute. Audio Culture. 5 August 2020. 5 December 2021.
  3. Web site: Sons of Zion set to sell out in Kapiti. Kapiti News. New Zealand Herald. 17 October 2016. 5 December 2021.
  4. Web site: Bio. muzic.net.nz. 5 December 2021.
  5. Web site: Interview with Sons of Zion before world tour . Taroi . Black . Te Ao Maori . 9 May 2018. 5 December 2021.
  6. For most entries: Web site: Discography Sons of Zion. Recorded Music NZ. Hung Medien. 20 November 2021.
  7. Peak positions for Sons of Zion's albums on the NZ Artist albums chart:
  8. Web site: Sons Of Zion. Spotify. 5 December 2021.
  9. album. New Zealand. 2020. 4860. Platinum. true. 21 November 2021.
  10. album. New Zealand. 2023. 5596. Gold. true. 17 June 2023.
  11. Web site: Sons of Zion . New Zealand Music Commission. 5 December 2021.
  12. Peak positions for Sons of Zion's singles on the NZ Artist singles chart:
  13. Web site: Sweet & Irie and Sons of Zion Announce Joint Forces Tour. New Zealand Music Commission. 25 June 2010. 5 December 2021.
  14. single. New Zealand. 4733. Platinum. 2. true. 21 November 2021.
  15. Web site: Sons Of Zion Talk 'Vantage Point', Touring NZ & More. 29 August 2018 . Hit Up Ange . 4 June 2023.
  16. Web site: Sons of Zion – Leave With Me . Backyard Beats . 20 November 2018 . Mai FM . 5 December 2021.
  17. single. New Zealand. 4781. Gold. true. 21 November 2021.
  18. single. New Zealand. 4845. Gold. true. 21 November 2021.
  19. single. New Zealand. 5231. Gold. true. 21 November 2021.
  20. Web site: Sons of Zion Share New Single 'Come to Bed' . 29 July 2022 . . 26 November 2022.
  21. Web site: Sons of Zion to release new music as independent artists . 29 July 2022 . . 26 November 2022.
  22. single. New Zealand. 5624. Gold. true. 29 July 2023.
  23. Web site: Be with You (feat. Pieter T, Tomorrow People, K.One, Sons of Zion, Fortafy, Tyree, Donell Lewis & MzJ) [Remix] – Single ]. iTunes. 24 November 2021.
  24. single. New Zealand. 2432. Gold. true. 21 November 2021.
  25. single. New Zealand. 5231. Platinum. true. 21 November 2021.
  26. Web site: Waiata / Anthems . iTunes . 6 September 2019 . 8 September 2019.
  27. single. New Zealand. 5484. Gold. true. 7 January 2023.