Drax Project back at it in the Bay

Drax Project members Ben O'Leary, Shaan Singh, Matt Beachen and Sam Thomson are playing their first show since lockdown at Black Barn on December 12. Photo / Supplied

Kiwi band Drax Project are set to start their string of summer performances where they left off – right here in Hawke's Bay.

The Wellington-based group will play at Black Barn Vineyards on December 12 - nine months after their most recent gig, also at the Havelock North venue.

Their March 14 sell-out show at Black Barn came just weeks before Covid-19 put a stop to all live performances in front of crowds.

Drax Project drummer Matt Beachen said the band is itching to get back on stage.

"It's been so long and we love playing live - it's how we started," he said. "It's our favourite thing to do."

Beachen said he and his bandmates - Sam Thomson, Shaan Singh and Ben O'Leary - thought it was fitting to reignite their live shows back where they left it.

"It was a nice little bookmark for the year - our last show was at Black Barn before everything hit the fan, and we thought it would be cool to come back to where we last played," he said.

The 26-year-old said they hope to have the same experience they had last time at the amphitheatre.

"It was one of those nights. It was the perfect way to end our summer shows," he said. "You can't really put a finger on why it was so awesome."

The four-piece will be supported by acts AACACIA and Neil Macleod.

Since forming in the capital in 2013, the band has opened for and performed with some of the world's biggest music names, including Ed Sheeran, Christina Aguilera and Camilla Cabello.

The Kiwi band was supposed to be travelling the world in 2020 to undertake an intimate club tour.

Beachen said putting their tour on hold has been a welcome surprise.

"We were planning to be overseas throughout the year, just like last year – we were in LA for eight months," he said.

"Last year we got a bit homesick, so it was a bit of a blessing in disguise to be back in New Zealand with friends and family."

Drax Project spent lockdown in Wellington and used the opportunity to slow down from their usually full schedule.

Beachen said it was the perfect time to reflect on the band's success over the past few years.

Despite the lack of international travel, Drax Project released their new single and music video Firefly - featuring American rapper Fetty Wap and AACACIA.

Beachen said Firefly was an entire year in the making, having written the song in LA at the start of the year, recording the vocals in March and managing to film the video in-between Auckland's first and second lockdowns.

He said a "lucky streak" helped get the record complete and released.

However, getting American musician Fetty Wap to feature in the video wasn't as straightforward, Beachen said.

"We ended up facetiming Fetty and got him to record himself doing the verse - then mapped that onto an animation version," he said.

The drummer said fans can expect new music, as well as their much-loved tracks, at their opening concert.

"We've got a whole bunch of new stuff that we're just finishing up now. Firefly's the first of many," he added.