Kora

Kora has long been recognised as the best live act in New Zealand, with an enduring career and legacy that resonates across the generations.

In the early 1990s, Laughton, Francis, Stuart, and Brad, four brothers of the Kora family hailing from Whakatane, began catching the attention of local audiences. After winning multiple band competitions, they earned a first release on Tangata Records. In 2000 while living in Queenstown, Laughton began jamming with local musician Dan McGruer (aka Syrup D), who encouraged him to experiment with vocals. Their live project Soulcharge was associated with locals including KP, Downtown Brown (Sunshine Sound System) and P.Digsss (Shapeshifter). Dan and Laughton both shared songwriting duties and recorded a four-song demo.
Laughton and Fran were reunited in Wellington at Toi Whakaari (NZ Drama School), and continued writing music with Dan, and then eventually all four brothers together became part of the 1st incarnation of Kora.
One of its tracks, Politician, written in Queenstown by KP, Dan and Laughton, became their first hit on radio, launching the band’s career. Kora released their Volume EP in mid-2004, and it proved hugely popular, reaching Platinum sales status and being picked up for distribution by Inertia Music (Australia), Shiva Records (UK), and Unity Records (Hawaii).

After a UK headline tour came the self-titled debut album, recorded and produced at Kora’s studio. Kora immediately went to No.1 in New Zealand, reaching double-platinum status. The follow-up sophomore album, “Light Years”, came five years later and showcased the band's diverse musical range. With an influence from electronic music, and with an increased use of synths, the album achieved platinum sales and was one of the highest-selling albums of 2013. By this point, Kora had well and truly cemented themselves as one of the nation's finest live acts.

The amount of ground Kora has covered throughout New Zealand and on the international circuit is impressive. In Aotearoa, Kora has been seen at The Big Day Out, Rhythm & Vines, One Love, WOMAD, Coromandel Gold, Homegrown, and Splore. Internationally, their touring highlights include London and Scotland with Crazy P & Norman J, a sell-out at London’s Shepherd's Bush Empire, WOMAD UK, Snowsplash (Japan), Sierra Nevada World Music Festival (USA), and Mosaic Festival (Singapore). Closer to home, they have performed at Australia’s WOMADelaide, Pyramid Rock, Playground, Fresh Fest, and Quicksilver Pro music festivals.

By 2019, Kora’s live efforts were focused around a new ensemble, consisting of core members Fran and Stu Kora, Dan McGruer and Richie Allan, with new additions Darren Matthiassen (Trinity Roots, Shapeshifter) on drums, Marika Hodgson (Hollie Smith, Troy Kingi, Alae) on bass, and Karlos Tunks (Troy Kingi, MMQ) on rhythm guitar and BVs. Songwriting for new releases began, with new material being instantly well-received amongst fans at shows.

The first song of that new material, Secret Lover, a funky tale of infidelity, was well received and landed nicely on the New Zealand radio charts. With its DJ Spell remix, Weekend brought hip-hop flavours back to the mix; rock anthem L-Over hit number #1 for Rock music via RadioScope in October 2021 and remained on the radio charts for nine months. Kora’s unique and eclectic blend of music has passed 50 million streams on Spotify.
Throughout the recent era, Kora has continued writing and performing at Aotearoa’s biggest festivals. Kora continue to headline shows such as Rhythm & Alps, Soundsplash, Electric Avenue, and Sundown on the summer live music circuit. In May 2022, Kora headlined Australia’s Gold Coast’s inaugural Good Love Festival, and other recent live highlights were slots playing before Six60 at stadium shows in Aotearoa and a landmark set at Splore that blew the roof off.

July 2022 saw the release of Taraketi- a re-recording of Kora’s first hit Politician in te reo Māori. This re-recording has not only been rewritten for the project: Taraketi is a fresh take on the original. Beloved across Aotearoa and frequently heard around the world as a soundtrack to political movements, the recreation was a “precious process that holds mana and pride to an updated version of the waiata.”

A regular output of new works, tested in the live arena have been released throughout 2022 and 2023, including Gone, Champion and All We Need / Kia Arohatia Tātou, which featured in the documentary “Waiata Anthems”, and Dancing In The Rain.

With that new energy and more recordings to come in 2024, festivals are already queueing up to book a band that remains one of the hottest live acts in the country, with a diverse fusion of influences unlike any other.