When Jamey Ferguson helped form Katchafire in Hamilton back in 2000, he probably never imagined that 25 years later he’d be recording an album with his son.
But that’s exactly where life has taken him. On October 9, Jamey and his son Daimond released Still Burning, their nine-waiata debut album as Son & Water, and for both of them, it’s a pretty special moment.
Written by Daimond Porima-Ferguson (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Ruapani, Ngāti Hikairo, Ngāti Hauā), the album has a lot of family history behind it. Daimond grew up around his father’s music, watching and learning as Jamey (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Ruapani) built a career that helped take Aotearoa reggae well beyond New Zealand.
“Everything about Still Burning comes from what my father has built through his music career and what he is now sharing with me as we embark on this haerenga together,” Daimond says.
“The ahi, the flames he lit early in his career, are still burning through Son & Water, and we are excited to see where that ahi takes us.”
Jamey spent more than a decade with Katchafire before leaving in 2013. These days, he’s back in the studio and on stage, only now it’s Daimond bringing the songs and ideas, with his dad alongside him.
“It’s been a huge blessing to share this journey with Daimond. Seeing his passion and talent for creating music has made this chapter so special,” Jamey says.
There’s a nice bit of history in where some of Still Burning was recorded, too. The pair returned to Revolver Studio in Waiuku, working with producer and engineer Nic Manders, who had recorded with Jamey during his Katchafire days. This time, Daimond was there with the full Son & Water band and backing vocalists, recording in the same studio his father had worked in years earlier.
The album moves through roots, reggae and ska, with plenty of guitars, drums, brass and harmonies. ‘Drop It Down’ is among the nine tracks, and while you can hear where some of the musical influences come from, there’s no real attempt to stick to one particular sound.
“We’re real ‘go with the wind’ type of musicians, so the process behind the album was completely spontaneous. We just want to create music that breaks down walls and brings people together,” Daimond says.
Son & Water have come a long way since releasing ‘Keep That Smile’ in 2023. The song spent 64 consecutive weeks on the Official Top 20 Aotearoa Singles Chart, and they’ve since built a following that stretches well beyond Aotearoa.
For Daimond, Still Burning is a way of acknowledging everything his father has taught him, while making music that feels like his own. And for Jamey, after all those years with Katchafire, there’s something quite special about being able to share the stage and studio with his son.
“We hope people connect with the album, enjoy the waiata, feel the wairua and, most importantly, that the music leads to kotahitanga, togetherness,” Daimond says.
Son & Water’s debut album Still Burning is out now on all streaming platforms.
Still Burning tour dates
New Zealand
23 Oct – Invercargill – Tickets
24 Oct – Christchurch – Tickets
25 Oct – Wellington – Tickets
20 Nov – Tauranga – Tickets
21 Nov – Hamilton – Tickets
Australia
28 Oct – Bunbury – Tickets
29 Oct – Perth – Tickets
30 Oct – Sydney – Tickets
31 Oct – Werribee – Tickets
1 Nov – Melbourne – Tickets