Adeaze: Back on the rise

Adeaze get personal in their second album, Rise & Shine. Photo / Supplied

Seven years after their hit first album, South Auckland duo Adeaze are at it again.

You'd be forgiven for writing off Adeaze as a one-album wonder. They have done the odd benefit gig here and there over the years and a duet with Irish golden boy Ronan Keating last year. But many had assumed the South Auckland brothers-in-arms had used all their ammunition on their 2004 début, Always And For Real, which sold a staggering 12,500-plus copies in its first week of release.

The album collected numerous awards and former Prime Minister Helen Clark even claimed Adeaze to be her favourite Kiwi band.

Viiz Tupa'i lets out a hearty laugh when reminded of the dizzying heights of the good old days. He knows he and his brother Nainz don't stand a chance of matching those sales seven years on with second album, Rise & Shine.

"Oh man, when we started recording this album and started hearing about how many albums people are selling these days, I was blown away. I was totally shocked at how much things have changed. These days people are finding it hard just to sell 200 albums," says Tupa'i.

"But I guess we just love music. To be honest, selling albums has never been the driving force."

And Tupa'i is clear. Adeaze is no one-album wonder.

"We never really went away. We've been gigging overseas - all across Australia, all across the States. We've continued to write in that time."

But he acknowledges a lot has happened since the release of the duo's debut album.

"I was 21 when our first album came out. Now I've got three kids," he laughs.

It's this experience that you'll find reflected in Rise & Shine. Once again, the brothers have focused on making timeless R'n'B with soaring harmonies and a laid-back, home-grown Polynesian twist.

And it's not just the chilled vibe Tupa'i hopes listeners pick up on. He wants people to listen closely to the words.

"The stuff on this album is what we've walked through in our own individual lives. And hopefully people really get to hear the messages. It's an album that tells a story."

Adeaze's second album, Rise & Shine, is out now. They will be holding an album release party at the Mangere Arts Centre, Auckland, on August 28.

- Herald on Sunday / View