Interview: Kerowaii

We caught up with PNG/NZ Artist Kerowaii to figure out what we’re in for when his album Mango Tree drops next month!!

 

LBB: Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

Kerowaii: I was born and grew up in Papua New Guinea, then moved to NZ at the age of 12.

 

LBB: What got you into music initially and how long have you been honing your sound? What is your sound?

Kerowaii: Great question. I have appreciated good music since as early as I remember. I guess in making my own music I just want to make music that I would put on a playlist, like, something I want to listen to. As far as my sound goes, I strive to paint truthful, thought provoking and deep pictures with my lyrics but have that element of fun and bravado in there. It is not a typical cookie cutter sound but is unique and at times raw emotion and vivid struggles are pictured. It’s honest, with real intention.

 

LBB: What is the name of your album, why did you choose that name for your album and how long did it take to complete?

Kerowaii: The name of my album is Mango Tree. The name hearkening from the Mango Tree in PNG under which I used to sit by the fire and roast peanuts as a child. Its a story of a boy turning to a man amidst the worlds troubles and tribulations. The album has been a labour intensive journey and has taken over a year to compile. The refining of the story over this time has been a joy and has come with many lessons.

LBB: Is there an underlying theme or concept for your album? If so can you explain it?

Kerowaii: The underlying theme of the album is really the story of my life from different perspectives. Things others will find parallel their own experiences. It takes you on a journey of a whole gamut of emotions and vibes which depict that transformation of a young boy growing up in PNG and moving to New Zealand after the passing of his mother and finding his place in the world.

 

LBB: What was your greatest inspiration to begin the album and why?

Kerowaii: The album is really dedicated to my mum and one of the main intentions is to honor her through it.

 

LBB: Are there any “stand out” tracks for you that you would point people to listen to first? Why those tracks?

Kerowaii: Yeah, “Signals”, produced by Christchurch’s Infectiouss is a good one to capture the essence of the emotional elements of the album while also remaining to be a song people can relate to and just vibe out to. I think also a notable track would be “Behind Enemy Lines (Interlude)”, produced by VZN of Australia, because it shows my versatility and diversity as an artist. One not to miss in terms of the setting of the scene of the album would be the Intro track as it describes a bit of the backstory to who I am and what this album is about.

 

LBB: Are there any features? Why did you choose to feature them and how did it come about?

Kerowaii: The album contains a few features from some very talented and awesome artists such as Louis, Trillo and Alice Tanner. I talked to all three artist, we then went into the studio to vibe out to another project we were working on and then a moment of inspiration struck, we got it down, recorded it, and there it was. This kind of an almost effortless and free expression is a joy to work with and is also how the track “Signals” came about. One day as Zac Harding (Infectiouss) and I were just going through a collection of beats he had, that instrumental struck the right notes and then almost instantaneously the track was written, recorded and it was done in a week. The album also features my brother Louis who contributed some amazing work on Depths of Colours and Death to Demons.

 

LBB: When and where can we get our hands on your album?

Kerowaii: It will be on Spotify, Itunes, Google Play, and all leading streaming sites on November 10th.

LBB: Any final words?

Kerowaii: Push beyond your wildest dream.

 

For more info or to contact the bro hit the link below!!:

Kerowaii on Facebook.