Drax Project

New Zealand's Drax Project emerged in 2013 as a soulful four-piece whose hook-driven pop draws from jazz, electronic drum'n'bass, and R&B roots. The Massey University jazz alumni, originally a busking covers act, gradually evolved into an original-pop ensemble after issuing several well-received EPs. Their 2017 breakthrough arrived with the chart-topping single “Woke Up Late,” which opened the door to the self-titled studio album Drax Project two years later. Subsequent releases such as the EPs Diamond and Blind Beat kept the group in New Zealand’s Top 40, aided by the Fetty Wap collaboration “Firefly” and the Rob Ruha duet “Ka Taria.”

The name Drax Project fuses the words “drum” and “sax.” It was founded by saxophonist and vocalist Shaan Singh together with drummer Matt Beachen, both Massey University jazz students. The pair began by performing pop covers on the streets and in bars along Courtenay Place in Wellington. They soon recruited fellow Massey classmate Sam Thomson on bass and Whitireia New Zealand guitarist Ben O’Leary, shifting focus to original material that blended dance-pop, jazz, hip-hop, and R&B. Their self-titled debut EP appeared in 2014, followed by prominent festival appearances. In 2016 the band delivered the Devin Abrams–produced EP T/W/OO, whose track “Cold” reached number one on viral streaming charts and earned widespread New Zealand radio play. Supporting slots for Lorde and Ed Sheeran further raised their profile.

The third EP, Noon, surfaced in 2017 and contained “Woke Up Late,” which topped the New Zealand singles chart and earned platinum certification. An acoustic edition of Noon followed in 2019, and a Māori-language rendition of the hit was included on the Waiata/Anthems compilation. Additional singles “All This Time” and “Catching Feelings,” the latter featuring Six60, appeared on the band’s first full-length album, the 2019 release Drax Project. That record also housed a new version of “Woke Up Late” featuring Hailee Steinfeld and reached number two on the New Zealand albums chart. In 2020 the group scored another Top 40 entry with “Firefly,” recorded alongside Fetty Wap and Aacacia.

Diamond and Blind Beat arrived as EPs in 2022, the same year “Ka Taria” with Rob Ruha entered the New Zealand Top 40. The following year brought the single “Atmosphere,” which likewise charted inside the Top 40.