The Adults (featuring Kings) performing "Take It On The Chin".
The Adults is a "collaborative name" used for two different recording projects led by New Zealand musician and Shihad frontman Jon Toogood. The first iteration of the Adults was a New Zealand rocksupergroup that released a self-titled album in 2011. In 2018 a completely different set of musicians (other than Toogood) performed on Haja, an album that blended Aghani Al-Banat (a Sudanese style that translates to "girls' music" and is performed at weddings) with New Zealand hip hop.
New Zealand supergroup, 2010–12
Beginning as a solo project of Jon Toogood's, the original Adults involved many established New Zealand musicians, including Shayne Carter, Julia Deans, Anika Moa, Tiki Taane and Ladi6.[1] Album The Adults was released in 2011 and reached number four in the New Zealand album charts. It was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2012 New Zealand Music Awards, and the single "Anniversary Day" was on the long list for the 2012 APRA Silver Scroll award.[2][3][4]
In June 2012 The Adults performed a concert with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra at CBS Arena in Christchurch, New Zealand. A special edition of their album The Adults with live tracks from the concert was released in November 2012.[5][6]
Haja, 2014–2018
The 2018 album Haja was released as The Adults in order to secure the participation of Warner Music after the recordings were made. Over the four years it took to create the album, Toogood had not had the name in mind.[7]
In 2014 Toogood married Dana Salih in Khartoum, the capital of her home country, Sudan. The traditional three-day ceremony included a dance performed by the bride on the final day. Other than the groom, only women are involved as spectators, drummers (the only instruments played) and singers. Women also write all the music and lyrics. The style is called Aghani al-banat, "girl's music", and is usually only performed live.[8]
The wedding was Toogood's first encounter with Aghani al-banat, and in particular the famous performer Gisma. As he explained it, "It sounded amazing, thrilling, like some new MIA track I've never heard... Given Islamic laws it felt kind of subversive. ... I couldn't hide my enthusiasm. [The band] stuck around after the wedding and I told them wanted to record with them. I'm not sure they believed me - then a year later I turned up."[9]
Haja combined iPhone recordings made in Sudan in 2015 (the more formal recording sessions didn't yield anything usable) with basslines played by Toogood and vocal contributions from New Zealand hip hop artists including Chelsea Jade, Raiza Biza and Aaradhna. In keeping with the spirit of Aghani al-banat, Toogood invited mostly female collaborators. He originally didn't plan to sing any vocals of his own, but negotiations with Warner Music led to him being heard on two songs.[10]
Haja reached #14 in New Zealand's album charts.[11] In 2018 Toogood wrote an academic paper about the project. Entitled Haja: Incorporating Aghani Al-Banat into a Western Popular Music Recording Project,[12] which formed part of his study towards a Master of Fine Arts.
^Oliver, Henry (24 July 2018). "Jon Toogood's The Adults: 'I'm bored of hearing me. I didn't make the record to hear me'". The Spinoff. Retrieved 25 November 2021. I found out it was going to be an Adults record when I said to Warners, 'I've got all this music but it's so different, I don't know how I'm going to put it out' [...] and they went [..] 'You've got an existing collaborative name, The Adults. We'll help you out if you do that.'
^Perrott, Alan (15 July 2018). "Shihad's Jon Toogood lets romance and marriage inspire latest project". Stuff. Retrieved 25 November 2021. It sounded amazing, thrilling" says Toogood, "like some new MIA track I've never heard and given Islamic laws it felt kind off subversive. Then at the interval - my wife was off for a costume change - the band kept playing and I couldn't hide my enthusiasm. They were a bit suspicious at first but I was clapping along and they were 'OK cool, now try this one'. It's little more intricate, and on it went until they were 'hey, this honky can keep up with us. What the hell?' Then they stuck around after the wedding and I told them wanted to record with them. I'm not sure they believed me - then a year later I turned up.
