Hikoikoi means ‘to walk’, and for Wellington band Hikoikoi, that walk’s been a long one – or as singer and guitarist Paul Wickham puts it, “quite a whack, but a good one.”
The band was formed eight years ago, a six-piece reggae band from Petone, and they are about to head off for their first ever UK/European tour – this time as a three piece.
“We started out quite ‘loungey’ – playing house parties and small gigs – but as we road tested our sound the influences of our personal music experiences started to develop,” says Wickham.
Rock influences have seeped in, and the harder-edged sound combined with Hikoikoi’s tendency to address social concerns through their music, has led to comparisons to bands like Rage Against The Machine.  
“We’re not really a protest band… but we do try and keep our finger on the pulse as far as being a watchdog for people who get the raw end of the deal in society,” he says.
This has proved helpful when booking their big tour; Hikoikoi are playing the UK’s top reggae festival, One Love Festival in London, and the Vale Earth Fair, which donates proceeds to causes like Oxfam, Free Tibet and Burma Campaign UK.
“I’m very aware that while one third of the world is in pleasure, two thirds is in a lot of agony… Ultimately through the music and what we support, we hope to be more uplifting for people in a difficult position”.
Hikoikoi will also play the Berlin Bier Festival, and have a dozen gigs booked in for the spaces between. For a band that’s always sat a little to the left of any mainstream sound; having big festivals overseas scrambling to get you booked must be a great feeling. “It’s invigorating and it provides a lot of energy for songwriting,” he says.
That bodes well for Hikoikoi’s second album, due to be released over the summer.
Hikoikoi: Bon Voyage Concert, Hope Bros, June 30.