Kora Essentials

Kora gets its name from the surname shared by the band's four brothers. They grew up playing together in their dad's band and then various high school bands in their hometown of Whakatane in the early '90s. In 2002, leader Laughton Kora hooked up with multi-instrumentalist Dan McGruer and asked his brothers to join him again to form the reggae and dub focused Kora. A potent and polished live act, leaning on the glorious brotherly harmonies, the band's 2007 self-titled debut album quickly went multi-platinum. A belated follow-up, 2012's Light Years, saw the band go through a sonic overhaul, incorporating futuristic electro sounds, which didn't manage to replicate the commercial success of its predecessor. Laughton and brother Brad officially left the group in 2013 to form the duo L.A.B.