Village90: Ōtara’s New Wave Bringing Back 2000s R&B Vibes

Straight out of Ōtara, South Auckland, Village90 are a five-piece band breathing fresh life into Aotearoa’s music scene, bringing back the soulful grooves and smooth melodies of early 2000s R&B. 

Village90 is made up of lead singer Daniel "Dansz", bassist Elcid, guitarist William "Nami" Langi, drummer Sione Langi, and keys player Doulos. All five grew up in South Auckland, carrying strong Samoan and Tongan heritage.

The group came together while studying at MAINZ (Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand). “We had known each other outside of studying through gigging and high school but jamming together at MAINZ is when we decided to become a band,” they said. 

Originally aiming to be a covers band inspired by groups like Beat Council and Levite Session Band, they spent two years gigging all over Auckland before finding their identity: “It all culminated in us playing a hybrid RnB style.” In 2019, they released their first original single, Young Love, and have been releasing music ever since.

Their shared love of music remains at the heart of everything they do. “We still love playing together, live especially, and still enjoy the fellowship of the song making process.” Now, as most of the members are fathers, they say it’s added a new motivation: “When we're gone our kids can still have something that was made by us, forever.”

Despite growing recognition, the group stays grounded. “In all honesty we don't really feel like we're a part of the industry yet,” they said. “Our goal has always just been to release music that we enjoy and more importantly love to play.”

Being from Ōtara runs deep in their story. “We're all really proud to come from Ōtara,” they shared. “You look to legends like OMC, Phil Fuemana, DawnRaid and 3HD and realize Ōtara has had a profound impact on NZ music.” They acknowledge that not everyone’s experience of Ōtara is the same: “We're also not naive to the fact that this isn't the case for everyone… But what I love about our hood is that there are success stories on both sides of that coin.”

When asked why it's important for young Pacific people to see others following their dreams, Village90 said: “We already start on the backfoot in life and have a lot more hoops to jump through… if you have the same circumstances then you can also have the same success.”

As for what they hope their music brings, their answer is simple: movement. “A head nod, a tap of the foot or even a stank face — we just want people to feel it enough that they wanna groove.”

Their advice for young Pacific artists is just as direct. “Enjoy the process and keep learning! Making music is a journey of self discovery and it's fine to re-discover who you are multiple times. It's even better when you express that musically. The world needs new music so keep working and keep releasing.”

Their latest single On My Way is an anthem about “self belief, perseverance and resilience,” created around Men’s Mental Health Week and deeply personal for the group. It's another step forward for a band proudly carrying the spirit of South Auckland into the future — and bringing that beloved 2000s R&B sound back to our ears.