Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News Talk SEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
That has been a big year for reggae inspired band
keep Inspired kt WE band Corella. Last year, this song
launched them into the spotlight, but fame continued this year,
with the song claiming Best to Breakthrough Single at the
Art Music Awards, Corella also picking up Best Roots Artist.
The band is building on that with a new album, Skeletons,
(00:35):
was released a couple of weeks ago, and they're about
to embark on a pretty epic summer of gigs to
get us all in the mood for summer. A couple
of members of Corella are here for a chat and
to perform a song for us. Lead singer Peppy Campbell
and guitarist Nawe Tupe are here with me. Hi, guys,
thanks for coming.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
In la, good morning.
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Thanks for having us.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
So nice to have you in the studio. It's been
a big year. You kind of things kind of took
off last year, but it feels like this year you're
really seeing the impact of the band and what you're
able to achieve.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
It's been pretty crazy. I think surreal is probably the
right word. You know who MLORDI really took us to
a whole other level. And we've just been on the grind,
like you said, new album and just working hard for
making sure we have a good summer.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
What the what do the music Awards mean?
Speaker 5 (01:28):
What? You know?
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Do it mean anything? Or is it pretty exciting?
Speaker 3 (01:31):
It was, like like Peep said, it was pretty surreal
for us, even just being at the Music Awards and
rubbing shoulders with all these amazing people and then luckily
enough to be named named as finalists as well as
just something that we didn't even think would even happen
to be honest, like when we first started this band, Yeah.
Speaker 6 (01:52):
Pretty sure.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
When when did things change then? As you say, because
you guys have been together for a while now, yep.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
We started off as like a covers band, I think
in twenty seventeen. Then we moved to an original's band
in twenty nineteen, released our first single and twenty twenty
and we've just been slowly chipping away and you know,
working against this blueprint and yeah, things are just I
don't know happened.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
So is it just a matter of time or do
you think actually you kind of just had a nail
on the head, as you say, with that, with that
particular song and things.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
I think it's probably a bit of both, to be honest, like,
there was definitely some like some some grinding. There's there's
like a lot of hard may go went into the
music writing and stuff. But we we honestly just started
writing music that we like. We thought word vibe too,
so lucky lucky for us it as well.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
But it should be hard work, right, It is hard.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
I always say it's like eighty percent of it's like
the stuff you do on stage and the performing. The
other twenty percent is sorry that and the other eighty
percent is all of the stuff you do behind the
scenes and all the grinding and making sure you're ready
for your opportunities.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Stell Clifford reviewed your second album, Skeletons, and the one
comment she said to me was, jeez, there was just
this really big step up across the board between your
debut album and Skeletons. Yeah, you're both smiling and oh yeah,
it might have might have got a few things.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
I think we kind of refined our craft a little
bit a little bit more, and even just the music writing.
I've said this before, but the first album or most
band's first album. You have your whole life to write
that album, you know what I mean, So like that's
that's music that we're written when we were kids. Album
number two had a lot of pressure on it, so
(03:40):
it was we definitely put a lot of time, a
lot of money. Yeah, yeah, it was a good right.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
The Roots Award, I suppose I know that you guys
don't feel that you are just the roots kind of banned.
I mean, you'll take the award, right, but but there
is so much more to you than that.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
Yeah, I always thought, you know, the Roots Award is
probably one of the hardest to win in New Zealand. Yeah,
were that award. We're up against Sons of Zion Coterie.
I think usually Lab sixty sixth year in that category two.
But yeah, like you said, we just we're not necessarily
just reggae. We do perform some pretty good reggae songs,
but we like to do like to know, we see,
(04:22):
we like to do music that we like and we're
just happy that other people actually like it too.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
There's a little bit of pop there, there's some soul,
there's a little bit of country even. I mean it's
got a little bit br kials to key we.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
Say yeah, I mean, like you said, we if we
like the music, we'll do it. Yeah, no real pressure
to stay into one genre for us, And like you said,
there's something in this album I think for everyone.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
As you mentioned, you've been together since twenty seventeen, and
I know that you guys all meet when you're in
the Royal who's in the navy? Is anyone still in
the navy?
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Just me?
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Yeah, it's still still full time in the navy.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Oh my gosh, how does this work? Because how many
in the band?
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Seven?
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Seven members?
Speaker 2 (05:05):
So is that like hard work or really fun?
Speaker 6 (05:09):
It's hard work. It's definitely hard work.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
It was actually funny when we released our first album.
I think we finished our our album tour and then
I went to sea for three months and I didn't
even I didn't even know until until until well into
our trip, and people was like, oh, you should probably
look at TikTok bro. It's it's getting pretty popular, yea.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
But now it's hard work, you know, with a seven
piece it's like hurting cats. Sometimes. Me and Nowhere are
usually the babysitters.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Coming from a military background.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Timings thing, Yeah, well, you'd think you guys would be
quite you know, you'd all be able to kind of
keep this together. So tell me just a little bit
about for people that aren't so familiar with it. You
met your background, you meet in the Royal newsyll A Navy.
And then was that when you were pretty much doing covers?
Speaker 4 (05:57):
Was it Yep, yep, we're doing We're just a covers
band doing you know, navy cocktail parties and bars around Devonport.
And then, like I said in two thousand nineteen that
we meant to know Winter One Love and we looked
on the stage and thinking, you know, maybe we should
look at trying to get up on the stage. And
so that's where the whole idea of becoming an original's
being really started. And yeah, that was our goal and
(06:20):
we sort of just worked towards it and managed to
take it off.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
We left left wagon Wheel behind.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Nothing wrong with there's always a time of place, all right.
There isn't a wedding that happens without Wagon Wheel playing.
To know why you are described as listed as the
band's guitarists but also the hype man. What does that mean?
Speaker 3 (06:40):
I think I think Pop's always been the one that's
given me that title, but no, I think I think
it's probably a a name I've been given from like
the live performances.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
That's energy, Okay, bring the fire right okay?
Speaker 6 (06:58):
Pop.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Is it true that you live next to Stan Walkher
growing up?
Speaker 6 (07:00):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (07:01):
How crazy is that? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (07:02):
Yeah, like city some he's actually my cousin.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
And you know, when I was not just like the
rest of that stand Walkers my cousin.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
Yeah yeah, and so yeah, going up next to him
and a lot of my family members. You know, I
thought everyone could sing when I was young. So you're
pretty blessed.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
It's awesome. So it is, And I know that I
know that you're on the same label as well as
LAB having these kind of connections. Have you found these
other these other artists and bands just sort of stepping
up when it comes to sort of mentoring and helping
you through this on this journey.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Yeah, one hundred percent like LAB. Myself and peeps always
followed LAB and there, and they're like musicianship and professionalism
and they're they're they're just on a whole other level.
But being able to work closely with them, do gigs
with them, it's it's something I say, is way different
to being a being in the crowd. Them get to
(07:59):
stand on the side of the stage now and when
it comes to energy, they are on another level.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
We big. Some are coming out right starting off rymen vines. Yeah,
could you do me a favor? Could you just at
some point stop and go oscar your mother hopes you
are behaving.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Yourself a few requests like that, that.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Would be great. But also you are traveling New Zealand
and Australia. I think with lab.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
Yeah, yes, it's a big summer, I said, I think
we've got three shows here in New Zealand and six
shows in Australia. And like I said, it's a bit
again the word surreal, but you know, getting to perform
with La b Stan Walker, Redna and you know, it's
just it's just crazy to think, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Well, we're pretty chafed that you were going to do
a little number for us here today. The song is
called Cookie. Tell me a little bit about the song.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
I'd say, like people are probably going to have their
own opinion of the song. We we just like telling
stories and having a different view of our history, I
think as well. And like we've got a couple of
songs now that Deble into a bit of history. Nice
and it's not not to be any any side of
of their history, but just to have it out.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Is it based on Captain Cocker?
Speaker 4 (09:13):
So yes, it was a bit of a like what
would you call like not comedy, but it was. It
was a fun like just a funny sort of song
that were just three together.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
We started vibing with it, you know what it's it's there,
it's good.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
It's a chorus when we were like, oh this is fun, alright,
let's do it. This is our song Cookie from our
new album Skeletons.
Speaker 5 (09:46):
Been sailing all around up and what's been already done?
Ran Sack and nanopilurging for fun for fun, No Cookie,
Oh what ma should stayed? I'm on the rippers hims
(10:08):
Now you're gone, Your God, You're gone, You're gone.
Speaker 6 (10:15):
Cookie, got cook.
Speaker 5 (10:19):
Cookie, got Chrispi, Cookie, got bird making trouble, won't be
home phone movie is scared?
Speaker 6 (10:31):
Said Cookie, got thun cooking, got Ivy.
Speaker 5 (10:39):
Cookill and Joe fun Now y'all gone to the fire.
Speaker 6 (10:48):
Said he came from a foreign lit bringing the comarty complaion, a.
Speaker 5 (10:56):
False got his body claimed to be.
Speaker 6 (11:00):
It was old and a comona Cooky.
Speaker 5 (11:05):
You know what you dover bady nose, so that July cheated.
Speaker 6 (11:13):
You jump out and down into the fire.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
You go.
Speaker 6 (11:18):
Cookie got cook cook You got Christmas.
Speaker 5 (11:26):
Cookie got burn making trouble, won't be homeful.
Speaker 6 (11:33):
So Cookie got them.
Speaker 5 (11:37):
Cookie got Ivy, Cooky, have Jon fun. Now y'all gone
to the fire.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
And that was Corella with Cookie. Thank you so much, guys,
that is that was just fantastic. I love the humor
in that. Have an amazing summer. Beast of luck with
these gigs, these wonderful big gigs. You're gonna play, Thank
you for coming in.
Speaker 4 (12:05):
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
That was Kii ban Carella. The song you just heard
Cocky is off the new album Skeletons. You can find
that on all streaming platforms now and head to loop
dot co dot in z for upcoming show dates.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks it B from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio