The Wireless presents the premiere for Kong Fooey’s new video ‘Right As Rain’.
Saying goodbye to Christchurch was one of the hardest things Jason Peters has ever had to do, but the move turned out to be the right decision.
Looking for a new start after the earthquakes in 2011, Peters, who previously played drums in early-90s grunge act Pumpkinhead, headed north to Auckland.
Leaving friends and family was tough, he says, but it led to a chance meeting with Jamie Greenslade, also known as Maitreya, who he used to kick it with in the Christchurch music scene.
Jason told him that he had been working on new music and after showing Jamie what he had, the two decided to team up and work on a few tracks together. Lastly, Jason reached out to his cousin Alice Egan, who emcees under the name Topaz, and Kong Fooey was born.
The core of the band are also joined by various collaborators including singer/guitarist David Haslett and vocalists Katerina Theo and Ella-Rose.
The video for their latest single, ‘Right As Rain’, was produced by Indie Film and co-directed by Jason and Tatsuya Sasaki, who had previously worked on clips for The Doqument, Tyson Tyler and Donnell Lewis.
It was Jason that came up with the bones of the track, but it wasn’t until Topaz and David paired up on the hook that it really came together.
Jason is a huge fan of old school funk acts like The Meters, The Commodores, Chuck Brown and Parliament and he says that their influence runs down the spine of all the tracks he produces. He describes Kong Fooey’s sound as “soul/hip-hop with sprinkles of electronica.”
“Ultimately any track we write has to also have a really good groove as a base.”
‘Right As Rain’ is about how we deal with adversity in New Zealand, says Jason. The “she’ll be right, mate” attitude that “always gets us through the tough times.”
Dealing with everything in a positive way is a common thread that is peppered through everything the band have written, says Jason.
“Live for the present and let go of the past because any negativity will inevitably hold you back from achieving your goals and dreams. All of us have a final destination and before we reach that destination we all have to find a way to make ourselves as happy as possible before this one way trip ends.”
Coincidentally, Final Destination is the title of the band’s first full length record, which is due out in November. Over two years in the making, the album follows on from their EP, Be Like Water, that was released last December.
Following that, the band plan to organise a few shows for the coming summer. Jason says that playing live is really where it’s at, but the message they really want to get across with their music is far simpler.
“Have fun, love, learn and keep evolving.”