The Black Seeds
Sun-drenched New Zealand reggae infused with deep funk grooves and soulful brass. The ultimate soundtrack for golden hour gatherings and coastal drives.
Sun-drenched New Zealand reggae infused with deep funk grooves and soulful brass. The ultimate soundtrack for golden hour gatherings and coastal drives.
The Black Seeds capture the specific, laid-back optimism of a South Pacific summer. Their sound is built on a foundation of rock-solid roots reggae, but it is the infusion of 1970s funk and classic soul that gives them their distinct 'funksteady' identity. It feels like a warm breeze, characterized by clean guitar skanks, a deep and melodic bassline, and a horn section that provides both punchy punctuation and smooth, melodic swells.
What sets them apart from traditional Jamaican roots acts is their polished, almost sophisticated approach to arrangement. While the dub influences are present in the spaciousness and occasional echo-drenched breakdown, the focus remains on tight songwriting and Barnaby Weir's smooth, soulful vocals. There is a precision to their rhythm section that feels more like a vintage funk band than a loose jam session, making their music incredibly infectious and danceable.
For those new to the band, the 2006 album 'Into the Dojo' is the essential entry point. It contains their most recognizable hits and perfectly balances their reggae foundations with their pop and funk sensibilities. It is the kind of music that instantly improves the atmosphere of any room, making it a staple for social gatherings, road trips, or simply unwinding after a long day.
The Black Seeds are a reggae inspired musical group from Wellington, New Zealand. Their rocksteady song "One by One" became an international hit when it was played in top ranked TV series Breaking Bad. Their music is a mixture of big beat funk, dub, afro music, pop, rock, soul, and roots reggae/ragga. Formed in 1998, the Black Seeds perform with eight members, with instruments including vocals, guitar, saxophone, trumpet, bass, drums, bongos, keyboard and wood block. Black Seeds first album, Keep On Pushing, was released 2001 following a number of live performances. Already very successful in New Zealand and popular in Australia, Europe and North & South America, their third album Into the Dojo (2007) introduced Black Seeds internationally. They have released seven studio albums, a live album, and two remix albums. They have two double-platinum selling albums in New Zealand, and successful European album releases through the German-based Sonar Kollektiv label. In 2011, the Black Seeds was described by Rolling Stone as "The best reggae band in the world right now". Lead singer Barnaby Weir, the son of veteran radio broadcaster Dick Weir, is also associated with the side-projects Fly My Pretties and Flash Harry. Former band member Bret McKenzie is also a member of international comedy duo Flight of the Conchords, as well as playing the role of Figwit the elf in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings. The band released their sixth studio album Fabric in early September 2017. Their song "One by One" was used in AMC's Breaking Bad Season 2 episode "4 Days Out" and also appears on the series' official soundtrack.
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