L.A.B.

L.A.B. is a New Zealand reggae band formed in Whakatāne, Bay of Plenty in 2016.^[1] Its founding members are Brad Kora (backing vocals and drums) and Stuart Kora (backing vocals, keyboard and guitar) of the band Kora. They soon engaged Joel Shadbolt on lead vocals and guitar, Ara Adams-Tamatea, formerly of Katchafire, as bassist, and Miharo Gregory as keyboardist.^[2] The band mostly composes reggae music, with a mix of electronic, blues, rock and funk music.^{[3][4][5][6][7]}

L.A.B.
Origin	Whakatāne, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
Genres	Reggae electronic
Labels	Loop
Members	Brad Kora Stuart Kora Joel Shadbolt Stan Walker Ara Adams-Tamatea Miharo Gregory
Website	loop.co.nz/artists/lab

Their song "In the Air" topped the New Zealand Singles Chart in March 2020.^[8] At the end of the year, it was ranked as New Zealand's best-performing single of 2020.^[9] It stayed in the top 10 for 73 weeks, longer than any other single, and at 9× platinum is New Zealand's all-time best-selling single. "Why Oh Why" also topped the New Zealand chart in December 2020.^[10] By mid-2021, "Why Oh Why" had gained popularity at Island Reggae radio stations across Hawaii.

In July 2020, the band announced their first summer show date for January 2021 with The Black Seeds, Mako Road, Bailey Wiley and Anna Coddington in support.^[11]

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions and certifications

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions		Certifications
		NZ [12]	AUS [13]
L.A.B.	Released: 24 November 2017 Label: Loop Recordings Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming	8	—	RMNZ: 3× Platinum[14]
L.A.B. II	Released: 21 December 2018 Label: Loop Recordings Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming	12	—	RMNZ: Platinum[15]
L.A.B. III	Released: 6 December 2019 Label: Loop Recordings Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming	5	—	RMNZ: 4× Platinum[16]
L.A.B. IV	Released: 18 December 2020 Label: Loop Recordings Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming	1	49	RMNZ: 3× Platinum[17]
L.A.B. V	Released: 17 December 2021 Label: Loop Recordings Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming	1	—[A]	RMNZ: Platinum[19]
L.A.B. VI	Released: 23 February 2024[20][21] Label: Loop Recordings	1	—	RMNZ: Gold[22]

Compilation albums

List of compilation albums, with selected chart positions

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions	Certifications
		NZ [12]
Introducing L.A.B.	Released: 13 October 2023 Label: Loop Recordings Formats: LP, digital download, streaming	1	RMNZ: Platinum[22]

Remix albums

List of remix albums, with selected chart positions

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
		NZ [12]
L.A.B in Dub (with Paolo Baldini DubFiles)	Released: 21 October 2022 Label: Loop Recordings Formats: Digital download, streaming	25

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name

Title	Year	Peak chart positions	Certifications	Album
		NZ [12]
"Jimmy Boy"	2017	—		L.A.B.
"Starry Eyes"		—
"Ain't No Use"		—
"Umulash"		—
"Controller"	2018	3	RMNZ: 8× Platinum[23]
"Midnight Summer"		—[B]		L.A.B. II
"Free Fall in a Dream"		—[C]
"Baby Will You Let Me"[26]	2019	—
"Personify"		—[D]		L.A.B. III
"In the Air"		1	RMNZ: 12× Platinum[28] ARIA: Gold[29]
"My Brother"	2020	35		L.A.B. IV
"Why Oh Why"		1	RMNZ: 5× Platinum[30]
"Yes I Do"	2021	13	RMNZ: 2× Platinum[31]
"Mr Reggae"		3	RMNZ: 3× Platinum[32]	L.A.B. V
"Under the Sun"		12	RMNZ: 2× Platinum[33]
"Real Ones"[34] (with Kings)	2022	—[E]
"Take It Away"		13	RMNZ: 2× Platinum[36]	L.A.B. VI
"Casanova"	2023	30	RMNZ: Gold[37]
"Oh No (Pt. 2)"[38]		—[F]
"Ocean Demon"[40]	2024	—[G]
"Follow"[42]		—[H]		TBA
"We Belong" (with Corrella)[44]	2025	—		Te Matatini 2025

Other charted songs

List of other charted songs, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name

Title	Year	Peak chart positions	Certifications	Album
		NZ [12]
"Rocketship"	2018	—[I]	RMNZ: Platinum[46]	L.A.B. II
"Fashion Dread"		—[J]
"Hands Up"		—[K]
"I Don't Wanna Know"		—[L]
"For the Love of Jane"	2019	—[M]	RMNZ: Platinum[49]	L.A.B. III
"Shadows"		—[N]
"Running"		—[O]
"Shoot on You"		—[P]
"Natural"	2020	5		L.A.B. IV
"No Roots"		6
"Boy King"		—[Q]
"Can You Be the One"	2021	—[R]		L.A.B. V
"Oh Honey"		—[S]
"Give Me That Feeling"	2024	—[T]		L.A.B. VI
"Follow"		—[U]
"Crazy Dream"		—[V]
"Mr Rave Rider"		—[W]

Notes

1. L.A.B. V did not enter the ARIA Albums Chart, but peaked at number eight on the ARIA Digital Albums Chart.^[18]
2. "Midnight Summer" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 23 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.^[24]
3. "Free Fall in a Dream" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 15 on the NZ Artist Hot Singles Chart.^[25]
4. "Personify" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 18 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.^[27]
5. "Real Ones" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 11 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.^[35]
6. "Oh No (Pt. 2)" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number one on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.^[39]
7. "Ocean Demon" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number four on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.^[41]
8. "Follow" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number nine on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.^[43]
9. "Rocketship" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 14 on the NZ Artist Top 20.^[45]
10. "Fashion Dread" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 23 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.^[47]
11. "Hands Up" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 32 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.^[47]
12. "I Don't Wanna Know" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 33 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.^[47]
13. "For the Love of Jane" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 15 on the NZ Artist Top 20.^[48]
14. "Shadows" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 12 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.^[50]
15. "Running" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 16 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.^[50]
16. "Shoot on You" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 12 on the NZ Artist Hot Singles Chart.^[51]
17. "Boy King" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number four on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.^[52]
18. "Can You Be the One" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number eight on the NZ Artist Top 20.^[53]
19. "Oh Honey" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 10 on the NZ Artist Top 20.^[53]
20. "Give Me That Feeling" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number two on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.^[54]
21. "Follow" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number eight on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.^[54]
22. "Crazy Dream" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 10 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.^[54]
23. "Mr Rave Rider" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number nine on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.^[54]

References

1. "L.A.B". L.A.B. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
2. "L.A.B". Loop Recordings Aotearoa.
3. Drever, Andrew (5 December 2019). "New Zealand's L.A.B. keen to keep experimenting". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
4. "Nelson has bumper summer entertainment season". Stuff. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
5. "L.A.B." www.muzic.net.nz. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
6. Kristin Macfarlane (15 March 2018). "When creatives connect on all levels, L.A.B magic is made". NZ Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
7. "L.A.B – The New Kings of Kiwi Reggae". Critic - Te Arohi. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
8. "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
9. "End of Year Charts 2020". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
10. "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 14 December 2020. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
11. "L.A.B. to play 'one-off special show' in Taranaki". Stuff. 6 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
12. "Discography L.A.B." charts.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
13. "Discography L.A.B." australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
14. "New Zealand album certifications – L.A.B. – L.A.B." Recorded Music NZ. 18 July 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
15. "New Zealand album certifications – L.A.B. – L.A.B. II". Recorded Music NZ. 5 April 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
16. "New Zealand album certifications – L.A.B. – L.A.B. III". Recorded Music NZ. 6 February 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
17. "New Zealand album certifications – L.A.B. – L.A.B. IV". Recorded Music NZ. 1 May 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
18. "ARIA Digital Albums - Week Commencing 27th December 2021". The ARIA Report. No. 1660. Australian Recording Industry Association. 27 December 2021. p. 10.
19. "New Zealand album certifications – L.A.B. – L.A.B. V". Recorded Music NZ. 22 August 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
20. Tame, Jack (23 September 2023). ""It's a buzz": L.A.B vocalist on their new single 'Casanova'". Newstalk ZB. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
21. Dimitrof, Stefan (10 November 2022). "L.A.B make history after award win repeat". teaomaori.news. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
22. "New Zealand album certifications". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
23. "New Zealand single certifications – L.A.B. – Controller". Recorded Music NZ. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
24. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 17 December 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
25. "Hot 20 NZ Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 24 December 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
26. "L.A.B. Drop Video for Baby Will You Let Me". Loop. 23 May 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
27. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 23 September 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
28. "New Zealand single certifications – L.A.B. – In the Air". Recorded Music NZ. 16 October 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
29. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2021 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
30. "New Zealand single certifications – L.A.B. – Why Oh Why". Recorded Music NZ. 13 March 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
31. "New Zealand single certifications – L.A.B. – Yes I Do". Recorded Music NZ. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
32. "New Zealand single certifications – L.A.B. – Mr Reggae". Recorded Music NZ. 12 June 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
33. "New Zealand single certifications – L.A.B. – Under the Sun". Recorded Music NZ. 12 February 2024. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
34. "L.A.B & Kings Release 'Real Ones' w/ Remix From QUIX". muzic.net.nz. 1 April 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
35. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
36. "New Zealand single certifications – L.A.B. – Take It Away". Recorded Music NZ. 29 January 2024. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
37. "New Zealand single certifications – L.A.B. – Casanova". Recorded Music NZ. 12 February 2024. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
38. "L.A.B Release Funky Single, 'Oh No (Pt. 2)', From Upcoming New Album". New Zealand Music Commission. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
39. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 25 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
40. "L.A.B Announce New Album, Share New Single 'Ocean Demon'". Rolling Stone. 26 January 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
41. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 5 February 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
42. "L.A.B Welcomes Summer with New Single 'Follow'". Rolling Stone Australia. 27 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
43. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 7 October 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
44. "L.A.B and Corrella team up for Te Matatini 2025 anthem 'We Belong'". NZ Herald. 24 January 2025. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
45. "Top 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 13 July 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
46. "Top 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 2 November 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
47. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 31 December 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
48. "Top 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 16 November 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
49. "Top 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 15 February 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
50. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
51. "Hot 20 NZ Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
52. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 28 December 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
53. "Top 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 27 December 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
54. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 4 March 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.