Stars align for Jupiter Project gig

Marty Rich and Gavin Correia, aka Jupiter Project, will stop off at The Sideline Bar in Napier on Saturday as part of their tour. Photo / Supplied

Jupiter Project is the upbeat collaboration between vocalist Gavin Correia and music producer Marty Rich.

The pair met during an end of semester party while at university and first hit the studio together in 2009.

The result was a refreshing sound encompassing indie rock, alternative hip-hop and electronica, which has been compared to the likes of N.E.R.D and Phoenix.

Despite their studies, the duo took time out to make music, something they had done separately to relax since they were teens.

"The academic side gets a bit much, so jamming was a good outlet," Correia said.

Today, their tracks are taking over New Zealand airwaves and they have clocked up singles with the likes of Stan Walker, Dane Rumble and boyband, Titanium.

There's no secret to success. The pair simply write about what they know, drawing inspiration from people, places and experiences.

"Our music's really personal, it's talking about what we're going through or what we've been through," Correia says.

"We definitely believe in keeping it real," Rich adds. "A lot of our generation can listen to our story and relate to it."

Basing themselves in LA, Jupiter Project recently recorded a new EP titled Zeus, across 10 different studios with a bigger team and more musicians, than ever before.

"We were at a studio in Hollywood writing a song and Maroon 5 was in the studio next to us - like, what?," Rich said in an earlier interview.

The 11-track offering features samples of work by Hudson Mohawke and Jamie XX, while blending R&B vocals with diverse instrumentation.

Back home, they are hitting the road on their With You tour, re-creating a vibrant and high energy show set to stop off at Napier's Sideline Bar on Saturday.

"There's nothing like giving your all in the studio and then seeing the effect that your music has on people ... making that physical connection with the crowd is something else."

One of their favourite tracks to play live is a song called Peer Pressure, off the new record.

"It's just got a really fun vibe so we have a great time performing it," Correia said.

The boys planned to spend the next few months writing new material and working with local artists, before returning to LA.

• Jupiter Project perform at The Sideline Bar in Napier on Saturday from 8pm. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $15 for students with ID from the venue, or $21 from eventfinder.co.nz.