Photo: Dan Clist
Hours before jumping on a plane to join their friends L.A.B. for an Australian tour, Corrella dropped by RNZ's Tamaki studio to perform songs from their new album Skeletons, a special Doobie Brothers cover and their award-winning 2023 single 'Blue Eyed Māori'.
When a group of friends serving in the Royal NZ Navy formed Corrella back in 2017, covers like 'Wagon Wheel' by Darius Rucker were their speciality.
Four years later, the band slowly started to write their own music and recruit "some actual musicians" before releasing their debut album Road to 26 in 2023.
After being named Best Roots Artist at the 2024 Aotearoa Music Awards, Corrella released their follow-up album Skeletons late last year.
The seven-piece band said their songwriting craft has developed massively on Skeletons, which Wellingtonians will get to hear live when the band returns from Australia to play at Homegrown Festival on 16 March.
Corrella, Pipiwharauroa, Rebekah, Te Naawe, Moresby, Tom, Taulu, and Codi, at the Aotearoa Music Awards on 30 May, 2024. Photo: Stijl / James Ensing-Trussell
Te Naawe Tupe - the only member of Corrella still serving in the NZ Navy - will also be getting back to his job training naval recruits.
Tupe told Jesse Mulligan, he found it really rewarding helping young people break generational cycles and build resilience through naval training.
"They're just all adults by the time they pass it in three months."
While lead singer Pipiwharauroa Campbell has now moved on from the navy, he still has "nothing but love" for his years of service.
"I got to travel the world, got to do all kinds of crazy things, which, you know, probably contributed to the good music."
Corrella played:
'Cookie' (a "dedication" to Captain James Cook)
'How Will I Know?' (written and performed by Ngawaiwera Campbell)
'Too Chur'
'Blue Eyed Māori'
'Listen to The Music' by The Doobie Brothers
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