For over a decade, Katchafire have been ambassadors of roots reggae music in New Zealand. After three long years since the release of their last offering ‘Say What You’re Thinking’ (2007), their highly anticipated new album ‘On The Road Again’, will be released on October 11.
Katchafire’s sound has always thrived off their strong cultural identity and self awareness. Their music embodies the feel good nature of life in rural New Zealand towns, with band members stemming from Waikato, Waihi, and Raglan. This formula has won Katchafire great acclaim with a double platinum debut album ‘Revival’, and a platinum sophomore release ‘Slow Burning’.
‘On The Road Again’ is a testament to life spent on tour since the release of ‘Say What You’re Thinking’. Over the past three years Katchafire, the hardest working band in New Zealand, have toured religiously across New Zealand, Australia, the greater Pacific (including Hawaii) and USA playing to over 30,000 people at selected events. The album is a melting pot of musical sensibilities including Jamaican dance-hall, r’n’b, roots, reggae and funk.
Recorded at Revolver Studios in Waiuku ‘On The Road Again’ is the end product of members Grenville Bell (guitar), Haani Totorewa (keyboards,vocals) Tere Ngarua (bass guitar), Logan Bell (guitar lead vocals), Jordan Bell (drums), Jamey Ferguson (keyboards, sax, lead vocals) and Leon Davey (vocals, percussion) channeling the vibes from touring life into a shared song writing experience.
‘On The Road Again’ has a far greater sense of collaboration on it. “In the past, individuals have brought songs or ideas to the table and then the band flesh it out,” says Logan Bell. “On this album we let our guard down and let the strongest ideas be the ones that survived. Like with ‘Groove Again’, we all wanted to make a song that would make people dance, I think it is also influenced by the American West Coast and the bands we have seen or played with”.
The album enables listeners to audibly relive the bands tour around the globe from the sounds of Aotearoa via Te Reo vocals in “Seek Ye”, to an ode to the Pacific in “You’re Dreaming”, whilst “Groove Again” features strong Jamaican beats guaranteed to get feet shuffling across the floor.
The true signature sound of Katchafire is also steeped throughout ‘On The Road Again’ in tracks such as ‘Feels Like’, a skanking roots reggae track based on the band’s bromance, and ‘One Stop Shop’ being a blend of upbeat reggae pop with shades of electronica via usage of vocoders. Album closer and sultry ‘Serious’ blends funk, dub and r’nb together with a Hendrix inspired jam session. The first single ‘On The Road Again’ hit radio last week and is already making an impact on the airwaves.
The development of Katchafire’s musical vocabulary and flexible song writing abilities has enabled the sound to be more cohesive and stronger than ever. ‘On The Road Again’ will have you skanking along to its infectious beats all summer long.
