Interview with Jared Kerr of Amanaki
Please introduce yourself, and tell us what bands you and other members have been a part of?
Hey, I’m Jared and I’m the vocalist for Amanaki and bass player in Covenant. Previously I played bass for Vanguard and Lead Us Forth. I started Amanaki with April back in 2018 working on what became Immutable, our debut release. During this process we had Jethro and Ethan join to create the band you see today.
Tell us about your introduction to nzhc and what bands were around at the time?
My introduction to NZHC was going to local all ages shows at zeal and other community building shows out in east Auckland. I grew up in the church and had played in the youth band for years so live music wasn’t new to me however the passion and energy shown in local hardcore shows was next level and I was instantly drawn to the scene. Bands I remember from back then are East of Eden, Too Late, Jurassic Penguin, As Colour Fades, Barracks, In Dread Response and so many more that I wish I could remember their names!
You must be super proud of the bands achievements so far, Can you speak of your latest vinyl release 'Immutable'
Yeah, I am super proud of what we have achieved as a band so far. It’s been awesome to release our debut release on vinyl and receive so much love for it. Shout out to Nathan at North Supply how sorts all of this stuff out for us and makes so much happen for us. We have heaps more in the works at the moment that we can’t wait to share with everyone.
How did the band choose the name 'Amanaki'?
I found the name online as cheesy as that sounds. The word means hope which is often the backbone to our songs as we talk about being there for each other and the message that nobody is alone.
What are some of your influences when it comes to writing songs ?
I would say my main influences would be Stray From the Path, Rage Against the Machine, Stick To Your Guns and Counterparts. These are the bands that make me want to be in a band and create music, and I'm glad I have been able to find similar-minded musicians to share this with. We have many more influences in the band as we all listen to our unique style of heavy bands but this is what makes the writing process interesting as we bring all our own styles together to create the sound of Amanaki.
Has the last few years being in a band with the recent pandemic been a curse or blessing for Amanaki, did it help with writing the latest ep?
Obviously, it has sucked not being able to jam and play shows and what especially made this hard was half the band living in hamilton and half in Auckland with the border restrictions that were in place. However, we actually managed to write a heap of songs. Between band zooms and when we were actually able to meet up, we tried to make the most of the downtime. We got to spend a bunch of time tracking and mixing new music that we cannot wait to with everyone.
Will we see potential overseas tours in the future, and what are some future goals for the band?
We would love to head overseas at some point once the world gets back to normal. I guess Australia is the first obvious step but would be awesome to head to the northern hemisphere at some point as a band. More shows and more music out there would be our main goal at the moment.
Name 10 bands past or present that have had an impact on your life so far?
Rage Against The Machine, Stray From The Path, Architects, P.O.D. HaveHeart, Gideon, For Today, Stick To Your Guns, Kublai Khan and Comeback Kid. Man this was a tough question. With the likes of Spotify out now you have access to so much music that would make this question near impossible so i guess these would be my OG favourites and bands i cant skip on.
Favourite venue, show you have played at and why?
We have had the pleasure of playing on some big stages at festival one which has been awesome. Apart from that, we always enjoy all ages shows as the crowd always seems to be more fun. Opening for bands like antagonist AD at whammy bar has been some good fun as well.
Any last words or shout-outs before we end the interview?
Jared: thanks for interviewing us and so many other awesome NZHC musicians. Stay tuned, we have a lot more coming this year and next.