The passion and power of Shepherds Reign

When five musos from South Auckland blended the unlikely mix of heavy metal and Polynesian rhythms, they knew they had produced something unique and special.

Shepherds Reign is comprised of Filiva’a James (vocals and keytar), Gideon Voon (guitar), Oliver Leupolu (guitar/production), Shaymen Rameka (drums), and Joseph Oti-George (bass).

Of Samoan descent, Oliver says there are strong bonds in the band, with music at the core of their connection.

“Filiva’a, Shaymen and I have been playing music together for over 15 years now and I also went to Otahuhu College with Shaymen,” Oliver shares.

“Filiva’a and I both taught piano at the same music school and both took music at university, while Filiva’a met Gideon while studying at the Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand (MAINZ) in 2016.

“And Joseph was discovered at Manurewa High School in 2019 where I was a music teacher.”

Shepherds Reign perform predominantly in Samoan and were the first ever metal band to tour Samoa after the release of their second album Ala Mai in 2023.

Their music is described as powerful, while sharing all aspects of the band members’ lives and cultures.

Whether unleashing the raw, guttural tribal roar of “Aiga" or the biker-rough riffery of "Ua Masa’a," Shepherds Reign brings a special passion and power to every single note.

Oliver says the band’s music is inspired by many things, including musical heroes, life experiences, creative pursuit on instruments and the desire to bring to life stories from the members’ cultures.

“Sometimes it’s purely for creative fun and exploring ideas in sound.”

Pursuing a career in music is always challenging but fulfilling when you are doing what you want, he adds.

“I always knew it would be challenging but there are always unexpected challenges as the band grows and reaches new levels.

“The biggest challenge is balancing normal life, work, and family with the commitments required to work on a band at a high level.”

Although being in the band is a fulltime job at times, each member has a day job as well, to keep ahead.

However, the band recently took some time off and headed for Norway to perform at Riddu Riddu Festival, where Shepherds Reign took over the main stage and were received well by people of all ages, Oliver says.

“Even elderly people were dancing to our music at 12.30am in the midnight sun daylight.”

Having returned to Aotearoa New Zealand, the band is rested and looking forward to performing at Hamilton’s Shredfest on July 27, before touring the country in August, with performances set for Christchurch on August 8, Wellington on August 9, and Auckland on August 10.

New videos, music and content visions are also in the pipeline for the rest of the year.

Ultimately, Oliver and the band want to be able to look back at their body of work and be proud of what we created.

“We hope it is something inspires people and shares the power and beauty of our Pacific culture.

“I hope to be able to take our music and culture all around the world, especially to parts of the world that may not know much about the Pacific.”

Visit the Shepherds Reign website for more information and to purchase gig tickets.