HOUSE OF SHEM – New Zealand Roots Reggae

Formed in 2005, House Of Shem is an Aotearoa based harmony trio, known for their distinctive New Zealand reggae. Comprised of Carl Perkins, formerly of the beloved icons HERBS, and his two sons Te Omeka Perkins and Isaiah Perkins who are talented instrumentalists and producers in their own right, House Of Shem are a multi-generational force of modern reggae.

House Of Shem seamlessly fuses traditional and contemporary styles to create a authentic blend of reggae, embodying the sounds of Maori, Polynesian, and Spiritual roots in their music. Resonating with audiences both at home and throughout the world, the three voices bring distinct flavours to their unique sound: Carl with his honed vintage style from his years of experience, Isaiah bringing a modern R&B vocal, and Te Omeka tying things together with his smooth dark ragga-dancehall styling.

Growing up with music being at the core of Carl’s life, Isaiah and Te Omeka followed their dad’s music inclinations and were performing themselves from a young age. Being around Carl’s success as the lead vocalist, percussionist, and songwriter in HERBS – earning multiple Platinum and Gold albums in their 38 year history, a Vodafone Pacific Music Awards Lifetime Achievement award, an induction into the NZ Hall Of Fame with the band – inspired his boys to pursue music, and creating a band as a family was a natural progression for the three. An 8-piece band of the finest reggae musicians in the country perform alongside House Of Shem, including former The Wailers member Roy Venkataraman on lead guitar, who has been with the trio since 2006.

Bursting onto the scene with their debut album ‘Keep Rising’ in 2008, House Of Shem rapidly built a loyal fan base. The trio have been dedicated to developing their craft, working with Grammy award winning engineers Errol Brown (Bob Marley, Burning Spear) and James Caruso (Damian Marley, Nas, Stephen Marley) and travelling to Jamaica to mix at the renowned Tuff Gong Studios . The effort caught the attention of critics and fans alike, and resulted in House Of Shem becoming the first reggae band in Aotearoa to debut at number one on the day of release with their sophomore effort ‘Island Vibration’. The release of their third album ‘Harmony’ brought more attention to the three-piece from around the globe, touring to sold-out shows throughout the USA, Hawaii, and Australia, as well as at home.

House Of Shem are one of New Zealand’s most successful reggae bands, having so far earned two Gold album certifications, several Maori music awards and multiple Vodafone New Zealand Music award nominations.
The band went on to focus on performing live around the world, starting with a tour the USA in 2015 for three months including a performance at Island Reggae Festival, returning to the ‘States in 2016 for the annual festival Reggae on the River and another headlining tour. House Of Shem also released the single ‘Jah Love’ in 2016, sparking interest in Europe for the first time through Germany’s Oneness Records and getting an invitation to perform in Guam, rewarding their huge following there after eight years of loyal support.

House Of Shem return in 2017 with brand new music with the lead single ‘Anything You Ask For’. Creating something unique and special for their global fanbase, the song was written, recorded and self produced on the island of Hawaii, merging the the local flavours of the Pacific into the new track.