# Sons of Zion

Sons of Zion is a six-member New Zealand reggae band who formed in 2007 in Pakuranga, Auckland. They became widely famous in New Zealand in early 2018, due to the popularity of their single "Drift Away".

## Biography

Band members Sam Eriwata and Joel Latimer grew up together in Auckland. They formed a youth band together when they attended Edgewater College in Pakuranga. The trio met Rio Panapa, originally from Rotorua, through joint church services where bands from different chapters of their church performed. Eventually Panapa moved to Auckland and joined Samuel Eriwata's youth band.
The original line-up featured Rio Panapa as lead vocalist and guitarist, Samuel Eriwata on drums, Joel Latimer on keyboards and Dylan Stewart, a bassist who moved from Whangārei to Auckland to join the band. The band won a competition to be the opening act at the Soundsplash Festival 2007 in Raglan, and hurriedly recorded an extended play so that they could release it at the festival. Panapa had difficulties with the range of some of the songs during these sessions, so Eriwata also became a vocalist for the band. The band later added Tawhiri Littlejohn as a permanent drummer as Eriwata took over more of the vocal duties, and Harlem McKenzie as a lead guitarist.
In October 2009, the band released their self-titled debut album, and spent the next few years extensively touring New Zealand and Australia. The band's singles "Good Love" (2012) and "Tell Her" (2013) received major radio airplay in New Zealand, becoming their first songs to chart in New Zealand. Their second album Universal Love was a major hit, reaching number three in New Zealand. At the 2014 Waiata Māori Music Awards, the video for the band's collaboration with Tomorrow People won the best video award. Later that year, the band covered "Sensitive to a Smile" alongside other local reggae musicians such as Katchafire and Tomorrow People as a charity single to combat child abuse.
The band's 2015 single "Stuck on Stupid" became popular internationally online, especially in locations such as Hawaii where it was a local radio hit. By 2015, the band's line-up had solidified as Eriwata, Panapa, Latimer, bassist Matt Sadgrove, Caleb Haapu of the band L40, and Ross Nansen of the Levites. In the next few years, the band's popularity online was cemented by the includion of their songs such as "I'm Ready", "Fill Me Up" and "Now" featuring on major Australasian reggae Spotify playlists. In 2017, the band produced the Te Reo song "Wairua" by Maimoa, which became a viral hit.
By 2017, the band began to experiment with genres outside of reggae, such as their collaboration "Is That Enough" with Aaradhna. For the band's third album Vantage Point (2018), all members decided to quit their day-jobs to focus entirely on the band. The first single from the album, "Drift Away", became a break-away hit for the group. The album was a success, becoming Platinum certified in New Zealand. The band toured internationally to promote the album.
In 2020, Panapa became the host of the Māori Television show Lifted.

## Artistry

Sons of Zion write, produce and mix all of their music. In 2017, the band created their own recording studio, No Filter Studios in Auckland.

## Personal lives

Samuel Eriwata's father is Richard Eriwata, a musician who became famous in the 1980s as a member of the musical theatre television show 12 Bar Rhythm 'n Shoes. Caleb Haapu's brother is singer-songwriter Seth Haapu.
Eriwata, Latimer, Stewart and Littlejohn are of Ngāpuhi descent, while Panapa's background includes Te Arawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Waikato Tainui.

## Discography
### Studio albums

| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Certifications |
| Title | Album details | NZ | NZ Artist | Certifications |
| Sons of Zion | Released: October 2009 Label: Sony Music New Zealand Format: CD, digital download | — | — | |
| Universal Love | Released: 18 October 2013 Label: Sony Music New Zealand Format: CD, digital download, streaming | 3 | 3 | |
| Vantage Point | Released: 11 May 2018 Label: Sony Format: CD, digital download, streaming | 18 | 2 | RMNZ: Platinum |
| "—" denotes an album that did not chart. |||||

### Compilation albums

| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Certifications |
| Title | Album details | NZ | NZ Artist | Certifications |
| First XV | Released: 28 October 2022 Label: Sony Format: CD, digital download, streaming | 9 | 3 | RMNZ: Gold |

### Extended plays

| Title | EP details | Peak chart positions |
| Title | EP details | NZ Artist |
| Sons of Zion | Released: 2007 Label: Self-released Format: CD | — |
| The Jukebox Suite | Released: 28 July 2017 Label: Sony Format: Digital download, streaming | 9 |
| "—" denotes an extended play that did not chart. |||

### Singles
#### As lead artist

| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album |
| Title | Year | NZ | NZ Artist | Certifications | Album |
| "Waiting Right Here" (featuring Hazadus) | 2009 | — | — | | Sons of Zion |
| "Be With You" | 2009 | — | — | | Sons of Zion |
| "Good Love" | 2012 | — | 7 | | Universal Love |
| "Tell Her" | 2013 | — | 3 | | Universal Love |
| "Superman" (featuring Tomorrow People) | 2013 | 17 | 5 | | Universal Love |
| "The Weekend" | 2013 | — | — | | Universal Love |
| "Be My Lady" | 2014 | — | 6 | | Universal Love |
| "Stuck on Stupid" (featuring Israel Starr) | 2014 | — | 4 | | Non-album singles |
| "I'm Ready" | 2015 | — | 4 | | Non-album singles |
| "Fill Me Up" | 2015 | — | 9 | | Non-album singles |
| "Hungover" | 2016 | — | 18 | | Non-album singles |
| "Now" (featuring Slip-On Stereo) | 2016 | — | 3 | | Non-album singles |
| "Live It Up" | 2017 | — | — | | The Jukebox Suite |
| "Is That Enough" (featuring Aaradhna) | 2017 | — | 2 | | The Jukebox Suite / Vantage Point |
| "Drift Away" | 2018 | 17 | 1 | RMNZ: 2× Platinum | Vantage Point |
| "So Bright" | 2018 | — | — | | Vantage Point |
| "Leave with Me" | 2018 | — | 13 | | Vantage Point |
| "Come Home" | 2019 | — | 3 | RMNZ: Gold | First XV |
| "Road Trip" | 2019 | — | 10 | RMNZ: Gold | First XV |
| "Break Up Song" | 2020 | — | — | | Non-album single |
| "Crazy" | 2020 | — | — | | First XV |
| "Love on the Run" (featuring Jackson Owens) | 2021 | 15 | 1 | RMNZ: Gold | First XV |
| "Come to Bed" | 2022 | — | — | | First XV |
| "One Night" | 2022 | — | 10 | RMNZ: Gold | Non-album single |
| "Be with You" (2022 version) | 2022 | — | — | | Sons of Zion (reissue) |
| "Running" (2022 version) | 2022 | — | — | | Sons of Zion (reissue) |
| "Homey Girl" (2022 version) | 2022 | — | — | | Sons of Zion (reissue) |
| "On My Way" (featuring The Green) | 2023 | — | 20 | | TBA |
| "I Want More" (featuring Tawaz) | 2023 | — | 20 | | TBA |
| "See You Like I Do" | 2024 | — | — | | TBA |
| "We Ain't Coming Home" (featuring Corrella) | 2024 | — | — | | TBA |
| "Waiting by the Bar" | 2024 | — | — | | TBA |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart. ||||||

#### As featured artist

| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album |
| Title | Year | NZ | NZ Artist | Certifications | Album |
| "Be with You [Remix]" (Deach featuring Pieter T, Tomorrow People, K.One, Sons of Zion, Fortafy, Tyree, Donell Lewis & MzJ) | 2013 | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Sensitive to a Smile" (among Aotearoa Reggae All Stars) | 2013 | 2 | 1 | RMNZ: Gold | Non-album singles |
| "This Feeling" (Tomorrow People featuring Sons of Zion) | 2017 | — | — | | Bass & Bassinets |
| "Help Me Out" (Kings featuring Sons of Zion) | 2020 | 17 | 6 | RMNZ: Platinum | Raplist |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart. ||||||

### Other charted songs

| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album |
| Title | Year | NZ Artist | Certifications | Album |
| "Potere Ana / Drift Away" | 2019 | 7 | | Waiata / Anthems |
| "He Aroha Hinemoa / Love on the Run" (featuring Jackson Owens) | 2021 | 13 | RMNZ: Gold | Non-album single |