Live Act

L.A.B

In just five short years, L.A.B have grown into one of the most-popular and busiest acts in New Zealand music. An eclectic mix of reggae, electronic, blues & funk all combine to create a sound entirely their own. Since their inception, L.A.B have performed at almost every major festival across NZ, alongside multiple sold-out headline tours of Australia.
Released in November 2017, L.A.B’s self-titled debut showcased the multiple sides to the L.A.B sound. Upon its release, the album went straight to number one on the iTunes Album Charts, has spent over 140 weeks in the New Zealand Top 20 Album charts since release, and has been certified Platinum. The single ‘Controller’ has since become a modern NZ anthem, being certified three-times Platinum nearly three years after its initial release.
Not willing to waste any time, the band were back in the studio less than four months after their debut’s release, with the new album L.A.B. II, released just in time for summer. The second album is, as the title suggests, the second chapter in the L.A.B story, seeing a further 12 genre-bending tracks, and showing a band further honing their eclectic sound. Since release, the album has spent over 100 weeks in the New Zealand Top 20 Album charts, and has also been certified Gold.
Summer 2019 saw the band perform over a dozen shows including massive festival slots at One Love and Rhythm & Vines. December 2019 saw the band fulfil its goal of releasing three albums in three years, with the release of L.A.B. III. Since release, their single ‘In The Air’ become the biggest track in NZ, hitting Number One on the Official NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, the first independent local act to do so since 2012. It has also been certified five-times Platinum, was the most-played song on NZ radio for over three months, and reached Number One on the 2020 NZ Official End Of Year Singles Chart.
The following months have seen L.A.B perform NZ’s first arena shows in over three months, performing to sell-out audiences at Auckland’s Spark Arena and Hamilton’s Claudelands Arena. With L.A.B. III reaching Platinum status and a finalist for the 2020 Taite Music Prize, the band also took home two 2020 Aotearoa Music Awards, including People’s Choice Award, while putting the finishing touches on their fourth album in four years.
Arriving just prior to the end of 2020, L.A.B IV maintains the sound that has become L.A.B’s trademark – reggae, funk, soul & blues effortlessly combining. Single ‘Why Oh Why’ showed the anticipation for the release, with the single debuting at Number One on the Official NZ Top 40 Singles Chart. The single is L.A.B’s second Number One for 2020, and marks only the second time an independent artist has secured two Number One singles in a calendar year. ‘Why Oh Why’ charted at Number One with ‘In The Air’ at Number Two and
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‘Controller’ at Number Three, the first time an artist has had three singles charting inside the Top Three.
Ahead of another busy summer including their largest-headline shows to date, L.A.B continue to assert themselves as one of NZ’s hardest-working acts, with no signs of slowing down.
Ara Adams-Tamatea – Bass

Miharo Gregory – Keys

Brad Kora – Drums, Vocals

Stu Kora – Keys, Vocals

Joel Shadbolt – Guitar, Vocals