From the windy hills of Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand), the multi-platinum selling band The Black Seeds have masterfully honed South Pacific soul, by blending deep grooves of reggae, funk, afrobeat and dub into an undeniably infectious mix. Today, the unstoppable eight-piece The Black Seeds return with the invigorating new single “Bring The Sun.” It is the third track released from their upcoming new album due out later this year.
Listen to “Bring The Sun” HERE
Following on from the release of last year’s single, “Let The Sunshine Through,” the new single sees The Black Seeds once again delivering a perfect summer single. Of course, here in North America, on this side of the globe, freezing temperatures during winter might make it seem silly to be talking about a “summer single,” but this uptempo future-funk track lives up to its title and can help warm the most frozen of hearts and minds. ”Bring The Sun” has already proven itself on dancefloors across New Zealand, and soon it will do the same in Europe and the Americas.
The brainchild of co-frontman Daniel Weetman, “Bring The Sun” showcases Weetman’s contemporary composition style coupled with sincere and meaningful lyrics. Dedicated to Weetman’s son Jarley, the song speaks to the challenges of modern parenting, focusing on themes of love, resilience and togetherness. The song was crafted initially from a demo on Weetman’s phone and then transferred to Pro Tools during Auckland’s second lockdown. “It was a classic COVID co-lab effort,” says Weetman.
“A week-long marathon Zoom session that had everyone sending in their tracks and giving their feedback as Nigel and I sculpted the track into place”.
The track also features a knockout debut performance of new guitarist Ryan Prebble (The Nudge, Fly My Pretties) who adds another sonic dimension to the band and a sensational climatic solo to “Bring the Sun.”
The video accompanying the single is a light take on how people have picked up new digital habits during the pandemic. Cleverly directed by Garth Badger for Thievery Studio it plays with some of the new trends that have evolved around online, from live streamed concerts to virtual meetings.
Talking about how the video concept relates to the song, Weetman explains: “My eldest son lives in Sydney and due to the Covid restrictions with travel I started to wonder and worry about when I would see him again. We keep in contact a lot over video calls and when we speak it is for hours and we connect well through this technology at a distance. So the song revealed itself to be about the strong bond my son and I have and that the distance between us is nothing when our love for each other is unbreakable.”
Watch the video HERE.
Long established as one of New Zealand’s finest bands and with a solid foothold in Europe and North America, The Black Seeds have carved out their reputation on the back of multi-platinum selling albums, and a masterful live show that has been filling dance floors across the globe for years. While firmly based in the island grooves that inspired the birth of the band over a decade ago, The Black Seeds’ sound casts a wide net, layering funk, soul, Afrobeat, and other eclectic elements over their dub/reggae foundations.
The Black Seeds released their debut album KEEP ON PUSHING in 2001, which despite a minimal marketing budget, went on to reach platinum sales in New Zealand. The second album, 2004’s ON THE SUN, added a heavy dose of funk and soul to their dub reggae sound. Third album INTO THE DOJO signalled the beginning of the band’s introduction to the rest of the world. 2008’s follow-up SOLID GROUND, 2012’s DUST AND DIRT, and 2017’s FABRIC continued to build the band’s global following after they were successfully released through trailblazing North American label Easy Star Records. Easy Star subsequently re-released the entire catalogue from the band in North America.
Consistent touring throughout Europe, North and South America has led to over 60 million Spotify streams since 2015, as well as placings on the US Billboard Reggae chart, and the iTunes Reggae Charts in the United Kingdom and Germany. Their tracks have found placements on cable classics Breaking Bad and Weeds, as well on the big screen in movies like Eight Below and The Inbetweeners II. Highlights from two decades of international press have included The Huffington Post describing their sound as “thick, bottom-heavy, and melodic," and Clash Music deeming them “one of the best live reggae acts on the planet”.
The Black Seeds’ new single “Bring The Sun” is out now - HERE
