Corrella picked up Best Breakthrough Single and Best Roots Artists at the Aotearoa Music Awards, in May. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
Corrella have come a long way since trying to fit "an eight-person band into the Portland Public House".
And with one band member serving and another formerly serving in the Navy, some military discipline has gone into the band's rapid rise.
Corrella started with a goal in mind and then worked backwards through the steps needed to get there, band members Pipiwharauroa Campbell and Te Naawe Tupe, told RNZ's The Sampler.
"There's definitely a drive from the band itself, knowing how to network, with our jobs in the Navy we make sure we have conversations with the right people.
"And we actually came up with a full-on two year plan, which I think we pretty comfortably executed to a tee up until the point that we actually got to the place that we wanted to," Tupe says.
That drive has culminated in hit records, industry recognition and playing some big venues to big crowds.
Now Corrella has released a second album, Skeletons.
It seems a long way from playing 'Wagon Wheel' in a covers band, Campbell says.
"I always say we got into this for fun, love of music and for wanting to perform in front of people.
"And now that we have performed on some of these bigger stages, and having people sing back our songs, it's like a surreal thing.
"And some would say, we've been a bit lucky, but I always say you've just got to be ready for those opportunities."
Corrella: From left, Pipiwharauroa Campbell, Rebekah Brady, Te Naawe Tupe, Moresby Kainuku, Tom Scrase, Taulu Schuster, and Codi Wehi-Ngatai, at the Aotearoa Music Awards on 30 May, 2024. Photo: Stijl / James Ensing-Trussell
The band always knew its audience, Tupe says.
"We tried to relate to the people who we were, standing in the crowd at the festivals, we're just singing to them."
Signed to Loop Recordings, labelmates L.A.B are friends and mentors, they say.
"L.A.B has been, even just the Kora whānau, have been pinnacle for me in the music industry.
"I grew up around music in Whakatāne and came up with it. So, I always reach out to the likes of Stu Kora and Brad even, it's awesome to have them as under our same roof," Tupe says.
That gift for networking has proved professionally useful, Campbell says.
"We've met some great people along the way who have told us some key things that have really helped. So, we don't make the same mistakes."
The band has a strong commitment to te reo Māori and the Māori music community.
"The Waiata Anthems community, amazing people, like hands down, probably some of the best experiences we've had with the music industry have been with the likes of Tawaz and Mohi and Pere Wihongi - all just amazing musicians and real humble people."
Winning Best Breakthrough Single for 'Blue-eyed Māori' and Best Roots Artists at the 2024 Aotearoa Music Awards was a buzz considering the competition, Campbell says.
"In New Zealand the roots reggae category, it's usually stacked."
Not that they want to be pigeon-holed in one genre.
"I don't feel like we're a roots reggae band, we've got our roots in reggae, but we do a whole range of music. We go wherever the music takes us.," Campbell says.
The new album Skeletons illustrates this musical expansiveness, he says.
"We've touched on pop, country… I just like doing whatever music I like doing."
