L.A.B. is a supergroup with about as much pedigree as it’s possible to have in the New Zealand music scene. Combining the legendary Kora brothers Brad (drums) and Stu (guitar, keyboard), with Ara Adams-Tamatea of Katchafire on bass, and young talent Joel Shadbolt on lead vocals and guitar, they’ve been tearing up the live music scene up and down the country, and just released their self-titled debut album in December.
Although he admits being in the industry for so long meant he had made connections that allowed them to “cut a few corners,” Brad Kora says the album release was still “a really surreal moment”.
Having “pretty much” left Kora (Brad returned to drum for a couple of shows this summer), the guys have been able to dedicate themselves full-time to L.A.B. and make music which they describe as “the same [but] somewhat different at the same time”.
In making the new album, Brad said he was “kinda wanting to take the music back to the old school a little more and wanting to keep the instruments as raw as possible. We’ve got all kinds of different styles, be it R&B, blues, reggae and soul. All four members had to be happy with each song and sound. It just kinda worked out. It could have been one of those things that was just total crap or it could be awesome, you know?”
They recorded at Wellington’s Surgery Studio with “Maestro” Dr Lee Prebble.
“The thing about Prebble is he likes to have that real vintage, in the moment kind of sound, and we knew he could deliver. He knew exactly what we wanted.”
Being predominantly a live band, spending so long in a studio was something Brad admits he was worried about. “You can get great studio artists and put them on stage and they’re a vegetable, or you can get great live acts and put them in a studio and the dynamics aren’t there.”
At the end of the day, the power of L.A.B. comes from their authenticity. “With this band, there’s no real act in our characters as people, and hopefully that’s what comes across in our music, just that this is what you get. The guys are pretty straight up, they were just like, “man, this is what we’re in to. If you like it, jump on the boat with us and come for a swim, you know?””