Boogie with the Black Seeds this summer
You’ll be able to cool yourself down this summer – Kiwi icons The Black Seeds will join the lineup for Rhythm & Alps. The New Year festival includes an array of artists to bring in 2026, and guitarist and lead singer of the band, Barnaby Weir, is excited to be a part of it.
Delivering a distinctive homegrown sound, The Black Seeds have been making waves in New Zealand’s music scene for more than two decades. Their soulful roots-reggae fusion was influenced by what the band was listening to at the time – American funk, Jamaican reggae and Ska. And where did the name come from? A herbal healing remedy.
“We thought, what about a musical remedy for your life,” Weir says.
Today the band continue to be influenced by different genres of music. All eight band members bring their own flare and flavour to the mix, creating the sound we now know and love. Showing no signs of slowing down, in addition to releasing a new single this year, they also just celebrated 20 years since their album On the Sun was released which features fan-favourite ‘So True’.
“In terms of memorable music videos, ‘So True’ video just nailed it perfectly, beautifully filmed by Nektar Films in the Coromandel. It really captured a wonderful celebration of that Kiwi summer road trip we all long for. The visuals reflect the song wonderfully and has become a treasured productions and vibe for the bands over the years.”
A celebratory double vinyl was released for the 20th anniversary, with a couple of new tracks added that didn’t make the cut all those years ago – not because they weren’t good, rather the band had too much music for the album originally.
“It’s quite a well-loved album and we’re proud of it. It sounds really good on vinyl and it was good to celebrate it. It’s quite amazing how fast time goes and we embrace that fully. Some of these songs mean a lot to some of our listeners and fans, and it continues to be listened to.”
On the Sun was their first album and Weir describes it as a little more raw and youthful. It was the band’s musical manifesto, their direction at the time, and it’s certainly stood the test of time.
Looking forward, Weir mentions a new album will be coming in 2026. They’re releasing a new single in a couple of weeks, which will be on the album, the eighth one for the band.
“We’ll start with this new single, coming out late November. The band has basically recorded most of an album, so we’re working on that for next year. We’re still making music that we love and that we hope our fans will love. Of course it sounds like the Black Seeds – that’s the sound we’ve been working on for that long.”
Fans at R&A can expect to hear some of the new tunes, mixed in with old favourites too. They can’t wait to head down and take the stage.
“We’ve played there a couple of times – it’s a really great festival and such a beautiful part of the country. There’s heaps of cool headliners that are from all around the world. We’re really so stoked to be invited again. Looking forward to it a lot,” Weir says.
The Black Seeds will be joining a range of great Kiwi and international artists including P Digsss of Salmonella Dub fame, Rudim3ntal, Synthony, Dizzee Rascal, and more at Rhythm & Alps. The festival runs over New Year from 29 – 31 December. Tickets and more information are available at rhythmandalps.co.nz
