It’s been seven years since Brad and Stu Kora, Joel Shadbolt, Ara Adams-Tamatea and Miharo Gregory formed L.A.B; and three years since they performed on home turf. The Bay of Plenty band tell essence what fans need to bring to their Tauranga concert, and discuss their upcoming sixth album; their love of kai; ‘yarns’ in the supermarket; and leaving their egos at the recording studio door.
essence: Four out of five of you live in the Bay of Plenty, and your first summer concert on December 30 in Tauranga, is also your first show on home turf since 2019. Is there something different about performing at home? If so, what?
Joel (lead vocals/guitar): “Apart from being able to stay in our own beds, there’s always something special about playing in the Bay.
“It’s hard to put a pin on it, but the energy is always on another level to any other show.
“Playing at home gets the locals excited, so you’re always seeing people around town at home, who will tell you how excited they are for the show.
“Those are the same people who you see in the crowd at the show, and that’s always a real buzz.”
essence: What can fans expect from this concert? And what are you currently doing to prepare for it?
Brad (drums): “We’ve been spending most of the past six months in and out of the studio working on a new album, so we’re all just itching to get back on the stage.
“We’ll be spending a week rehearsing and putting together a brand-new show, and Tauranga will be the first to see it.
“We know there are some songs that we have to play every time, but it’s exciting to start having a look at what we want to play this time around, and if we can sneak in a new song or two before they come out.”
essence: What do ticket holders need to bring with them on the day?
Miharo (keys): “Energy. We’ve got an awesome line-up of artists playing with us, and we’re bringing a full afternoon and evening of live music.
“We hope that people will get there nice and early and catch as much of the music as they can. People will probably know The Black Seeds, and Katchafire, who are absolute legends that we’ve played with before, but hopefully, with artists like Summer Thieves, Bailey Wiley, AACACIA and Tipene, they might find a new artist they love.”
essence: The five of you have been jamming together since 2015 and since then, you've toured internationally, won numerous music awards, and attracted a legion of fans. Who do you think your audience is nowadays? And what might those people be getting out of your new music?
Joel: “Since the start, we’ve really been making music that we’ve wanted to make and listen to, and not really trying to fit into any particular box. I think because of that, we’ve attracted a really diverse fan base.
“When we’re writing and recording, we’re just making what feels good for us, and it seems to be something that people have gravitated towards. I think our music helps people feel good, and hopefully what we’re making will keep making people feel good.”
essence: Each of you is talented in your own right and brings different skills to the table as a band. What have you all learned about compromise?
Stu (keys/guitar): “I think we’re really fortunate that there isn’t really any ego in this band.
“Ever since our first album, there have been tracks where someone might play eight different instruments then might just do some backing vocals on another.
“We’re all about working towards what is best for the song, and I think a lack of ego really helps that.”
essence: Brad, it's well-known that you and your brother Stu were in your own group Kora since 1991. Brad, you founded L.A.B, and are the band's producer and main songwriter. How did that talent develop? And what is your long-term vision/goal for L.A.B?
Brad: “Music is something that’s just in our blood.
“Our old man [Tait Kora] is a musician, and we were playing with him since we were super little [growing up in Whakatane].
“Me and my [three] brothers all honed our skills by just playing constantly, every day, as much as we could - and we have done the same thing in L.A.B.
“When we were starting out, we’d rehearse the same song over and over for 10 hours - a full day - and then we’d move on to a different song. Repetition is something that has really helped us as a band.
“Long term, we are super fortunate to be in the position we’re in where people are enjoying what we are doing and keen to come and see us live.
“Hopefully we can keep making music and playing live as long as we can.”
essence: As a band, who are you influenced by and why?
Ara (bass): “A lot of our influences are pretty old school, and I think that comes through in our music.
“We’re actually all influenced by a lot of the same artists, which makes things easy as we all have the same references. Blues and soul like Stevie Wonder, classic rock/metal like Iron Maiden. Of course, reggae, like Steele Pulse, and Uncle Bob. It’s all music that we’ve grown up listening to and playing.”
essence: When you look back on how far you've come as a band, what are you most proud of and why?
Miharo: “I think we’re all proud of just being able to do this for a living, and to provide for our families making music.
“It’s a privilege to be able to do that, especially given the current state of the music industry. We’ve had lots of awesome moments as a band, but I think playing the first show at Spark Arena after the first lockdown in 2020 was a show that we’ll all never forget. The energy in the room that night is something that we’ve never felt before.”
essence: What's the best, and the hardest part, of being famous in New Zealand?
Joel: “Managing how much energy you give to people. I think that is the case just in general, but when you are recognised a lot you have to be ready for that nearly every time you go out in public.
“We love our fans coming up and saying ‘hi’ though. I’ve had some awesome yarns with fans in the supermarket. Ha, ha.”
essence: What's something you'd like your fans to know about L.A.B that they might have no idea about?
Joel: “We love Asian fusion food. Eating is a huge part of the L.A.B culture.
“Every time we’re in the studio we make sure to take the time to have good feeds. Any time we’re in a different city too, a big part is always trying to find the best local spots.”
essence: Tauranga fans are excited you are coming to the city. However, Rotorua fans would love you to play there too. Do you have any plans to play in Rotorua?
All band members: “At this stage no plans to come back to Rotorua unfortunately. Luckily it’s a short drive to Tauranga.”
essence: What is your all-time favourite L.A.B track?
Joel: No Roots. Brad: Running. Miharo: Love Will Save Me. Ara: Boy King. Stu: No Roots.
essence: What can you tell us about your upcoming album?
Miharo: “We’ve been working hard for the past six months on a new album, and it feels like we’ve really got some momentum building every time we’re in the studio.
“I think fans can expect the sound of L.A.B that people are used to. We feel like we’re making some of the best songs we’ve ever done, and can’t wait for people to start hearing them.
“[The new album, which is our sixth] will be out sometime in 2023, but we’ll have plenty of new music to share before then.”
L.A.B released their latest track on December 9 called Take It Away.
essence: Final question: It's almost Christmas. What are you doing for your summer holiday?
All band members: “We are on tour this summer but in between that we will be over-eating, hanging with our whanau, and having some good laughs.”
L.A.B kick off their summer tour at Tauranga’s Wharepai Domain on December 30, before heading to Tomoana Showgrounds in Hastings (January 21), Semenoff Stadium in Whangarei (February 4) and then six shows in the United States and Hawaii in May; followed a show in The Netherlands and the United Kingdom in October.
# For tickets to the Tauranga concert, which is R18, visit loop.co.nz. General admission $127.50. Return bus tickets are also available from Mount Maunganui and Papamoa.