Katchafire bio

Reggae is one of the bloodlines of New Zealand music, and the all-Maori band Katchafire has become its foremost advocate today. A family affair from day one in 1997, founder and lead guitarist Grenville Bell and sons Logan (lead vocals) and Jordan (drums), remain the core of the band. Transcending their origins in a Hamilton garage as a cover band, Katchafire took their Marley-inspired original music to the bars and clubs, building up a fan base of thousands. Their exceptional debut album, the prophetically named Revival, sold in excess of 45,000 copies (more than double platinum in New Zealand) and they scored massive hits with songs like "Giddy Up", the nation's biggest selling single of 2002/2003.

After building on that success at home with the platinum follow-up Slow Burning, Katchafire took a major step forward when New Zealand foreign exchange students Introduced their Kiwi reggae vibes to the fertile soil of the Hawaiian Islands. Underground popularity soon exploded onto the airwaves, and by the summer of 2006 Katchafire was topping the sales charts in the Aloha State and headlining at the 10,000 capacity Waikiki Shell. That's when the band started giving their passports a considerable workout, from festival appearances all over Europe to increasingly successful mainland U.S. excursions. They now draw huge crowds all over the Pacific, from Australia to Guam and Saipan.

The last several years have found the boys supporting this landmark release with an increasingly hectic tour schedule, featuring stops at the Big Day Out Festival at home, Raggamuffin tour of Australia, and new island conquests like Fiji. And each U.S. tour is bigger than the last, with stops at SXSW, Reggae on the River, House of Blues and many more. With a long-awaited fourth album due this fall, combined with their relentless work ethic and phenomenal live shows, It looks like only a matter of time before the whole world is Katchafire country.