With close to two decades experience as an Ar3st, Cultural Leader and Storyteller, Stan Walker (tribe affilia3ons: Tūhoe, Ngāi TeRangi, Ngā3 Ranginui, Ngā3 Pūkenga, Tūhourangi Ngā3 Wāhiao, Ngā3 Porou, Ngā3 Whakaue and Ngai Tahu) feels like it’s just the beginning.
Stan stepped into the spotlight in 2009 and for the first seven years of his career, focused on exploring his sound and refining his skills as a singer and songwriter. The subsequent seven years were dedicated to deepening the connec3on with his cultural iden3ty, reclaiming his life and health, and weaving this journey of reclama3on into his ar3s3c expression. Stan has never been clearer on his mission and journey saying “My purpose has always been to upli2, empower and serve the people, my people, Indigenous people. Through my music and message, I inspire to bring hope, life, healing and joy. The world needs it now more than ever”.
The Tauranga, New Zealand na3ve who recently caught the world’s aTen3on when he was handpicked by Academy Award nominee Ava DuVernay to create the theme song “I Am” to her latest movie “Origin”, has over 400 million streams across catalogue, a plethora of pla3num selling tracks and albums, and has won
numerous pres3gious awards across Australia and New Zealand. He has also developed an ar3s3c ecosystem that has seen him create across numerous mediums and add Author, Actor, Business Owner, Director, Fashion Designer, Crea3ve Director and Producer to his repertoire. His ar3stry has been shaped by everything he has been through, and his work is informed by a Māori and Indigenous worldview that is strongly driven by community, a view that he hopes will contribute to beTer outcomes for future genera3ons.
Stan considers his various crea3ve outputs as a journal and 3meline to his life. In 2020, Stan’s biography, ‘Impossible: My Story’ was published by HarperCollins and it details the trials and tribula3ons he has faced in his personal life, especially during his childhood. Stan says, “This book is the memoir of the first chapter of my story, and I felt I was ready to provide an in-depth insight into my life. I knew wriBng this book would allow me to go deep and expose myself in ways that I’ve never done before so I could tell my truth. I hope in doing so I can help others who don’t have a voice or can’t speak for themselves. I want to show people that the impossible can become possible”.
As the creator con3nues this regenera3ve journey, he feels unapologe3c about who he is and the message he must share. In paying homage to his Māori culture and tapping into the different aspects of his whakapapa (lineages), Stan finds for3fica3on in his cultural iden3ty, something he proudly refers to as his superpower. In this era of his ar3stry, he is experiencing a cultural renaissance that is reflected in his releases, forthcoming music and the varying projects he put his 3me and energy to. For Stan, inten3onality will remain at the core and crea3ve expression will always be an extension of the journey of finding himself.
With Stan proudly releasing music as an independent ar3st, he is looking forward to breaking new ar3s3c ground, and intends for his ar3stry to be a contribu3on to lineages of creators. With recent sold-out shows in Hawaii, and upcoming performances in Tahi3 and the USA, Stan is truly stepping into his power and taking his message of love, hope, healing and joy to audiences across the globe.
Individually, they have supported a diverse range of artists on both local and global stages. Now, as Seven Suns, each member brings a unique musicality to the group, creating a vibrant fusion that speaks from the heart.
Upon hearing early recordings, Ineffable Records—Billboard’s top independent label inthe reggae genre—quickly realized their potential and signed Seven Suns to release their first single and album.
“We love seeing such talented musicians come together to reach new heights,” says JNamkung, Director of Operations at Ineffable, “but more importantly, we love the music they’re making and are sure everyone else will feel the same way once they get the chance to hear it.”
Their first single, Many Feathers, “was written as an expression of the founding ideal of our band,” says vocalist Justin Kawika Young. “A single feather is unique and special, but it takes many feathers moving together to take flight. Similarly, we have all been on individual musical paths but in Seven Suns we find greater strength as a collective, bonded and lifting each other to new heights”.
Since debuting, Seven Suns has featured as support for The Green, Allen Stone, and Maoli. They’ve released subsequent singles—Stranger, Faded, Run It Back, and Be Still Here—that have regularly topped local radio charts and extended their reach internationally.
Their full length album ‘Many Feathers’ is set to be released Nov 8, 2024 via Ineffable Records - on the tail of their first tour across the Hawaiian Island chain.
