Kora's new song is out this month. Photo / Supplied
With a busy summer of live performances ahead, Kora’s Fran Kora takes a quick timeout for 10 questions.
Describe Kora’s sound or vibe in one sentence.
Kora’s vibe and sound is eclectic, with heavy funky grooves.
You’ve been around a while now. What is the secret to Kora’s longevity?
Being good at your craft, and having a great team of people, players and management on your team. People like working with people that aren’t difficult to work with!
What inspires you most when writing songs?
That’s the ultimate question for any creative and one that is different almost every time. It could be the environment you have been in, a riff, a mistake, a story that is important to you, a mood or tone, a memory. Whatever it is, there is no shortage of inspiration.
What is your new song Gone about?
Gone is a song about letting go of false hope and learning how to move on from that relationship.
What’s the secret to connecting with a live audience?
An audience is a mirror reflection of what the performer is giving them. The more energy you can share and communicate with an audience, the stronger the connection. The true craft is when there is an audience that has never heard of you before. The magic moment is where the performance and audience become as one. From that point, the sense of ‘play’ has begun.
How have events of the past few years affected your growth as musicians?
The past few years have been a creative blessing. Lockdown forced us to think outside the box, while working inside the box! The entire world is connected online, so working remotely and having a family is something I’ve now become accustomed to. I had the best time accepting projects and music jobs online - having to dive into something I had absolutely no knowledge of, and figuring it out. It’s the Kiwi way! Lockdown also meant no gigs, but it allowed us to have the time to write more and think of new ways to be creative without having to juggle shows, family and everything else.
What’s the best thing about the NZ music industry? And the worst?
I couldn’t tell you what the best thing is! But to see just how far the industry has come is pretty amazing. From funding, seeing te reo Māori in music flourish on the radio and TV, having more females on the bill of festivals, etc. The list goes on.
The worst things are:
1) Ignore the people that have the most to say, but have done absolutely f***-all themselves!
2) Dodgy money people! Yes, the sharks still survive in this industry.
If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, what would it be?
The sound of the surf. I could never listen to just one album for the rest of my life - that would drive anyone insane! However, the sound of the ocean, I could play day or night without a worry.
You’re curating a music festival featuring any musicians from now or the past, alive or dead. Who’s on the bill?
Chaka Khan, Rob Ruha, Shapeshifter, Iron Maiden, Michael Jackson, Weta, Bob Marley, AC/DC... There’s waaaay too many bands I’d want to play!
And finally, what’s the next big thing on the horizon for Kora?
The release of Gone, with a super cool music video we shot in Glenorchy. Summer Shows and festivals with Six60 - Rhythm and Alps, Splore, Homegrown, etc. More writing and releasing of music, making memories with our team, and chasing as many waves wherever possible on the road. Hehe...