Dillastrate Drop New Album And Empowering New Single, ‘Holding On’

Renowned Ōtautahi duo Dillastrate have released their powerful new single, ‘Holding On’, marking the lead track from their second album, ‘Ngā Pounamu’, also out today.

Released in the last week of Movember, ‘Holding On’ explores the journey of a Māori man grappling with the expectations of traditional values, and finding strength through channelling his tūpuna (ancestors).

“Holding On is for our tāne. A tribute to the strength and resilience of Māori men,” says Dillastrate member Henare Kaa (Ngāti Porou).

“We wanted to capture the raw essence of hardship, while celebrating the power of holding onto who you are and where you come from, even when it feels like you’re sinking.”

Formed from the late Aaron Tokona’s legendary AHoriBuzz, Dillastrate features musical heavyweights Kaa (lead vocals/drums) and Tim Driver (keyboard/bass synth/loops/vocals). The pair combines diverse musical influences with deep roots in the Aotearoa live music scene, creating music that speaks to cultural identity and shared experiences.

‘Holding On’ was co-written with Chase Woods and Te Naawe Tupe (Corrella), and recorded at Auckland’s iconic Roundhead Studios. It features a pedal steel guitar, a first for Dillastrate, that adds a distinctive country-roots influence.

Dillastrate drew on a wide range of musical inspirations for the track, from The Eagles and Garth Brooks, to contemporary artists like Shaboozey and The Teskey Brothers. This culmination of various genres and styles embodies the direction of ‘Ngā Pounamu’.

“We never started out in the streaming game, our background is in live music. ‘Ngā Pounamu’ resulted from our journey with recording music throughout the past year – writing with and learning from a range of artists and producers across Aotearoa,” says Driver.

“We didn’t have a preconceived direction, the album is an authentic representation of this journey, of what came up in each writing room.”

‘Ngā Pounamu’ combines influences ranging from reggae and country, to pop and drum and bass. While Dillastrate love experimenting with new sounds, the overarching kaupapa of their music is to champion te reo Māori.

“We ultimately want to amplify te reo and te ao Māori through what we know best – music,” says Kaa.

The ‘Holding On’ music video will premiere at 7pm tonight. ‘Holding On’ and ‘Ngā Pounamu’ are available now on all streaming platforms.

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