Collaborative project The Adults returns in New Zealand Music Month with a new single ‘Bloodlines’ featuring two of Aotearoa’s upcoming voices; Estère and JessB.

‘Bloodlines’ is a battlecry for love from a female perspective and draws inspiration from the female Sudanese Aghani Al-Banat musicians the track is based around.

The accompanying video, directed by Shae Sterling (Stan Walker, Openside, Maisey Rika) is a stunning visual, shot at Piha and Karekare.

About the track Jon says, “it’s based around a traditional Sudanese wedding song which talks about the women of the bride to be tribes gathering together to support her as she begins her ceremonial bridal dance. It’s music to empower the bride and lend her strength.”

Seven years after the first Adults album, Jon gathered inspiration for the upcoming project at his wedding in Khartoum, Sudan in 2014 and the traditional music, Aghani-Al-Banat, performed on the third day of the ceremony.

Aghani-Al-Banat literally translates to ‘girls’ music’ and is one of the only aspects of Sudanese music that deals exclusively with women, their lives and issues. Jon was captivated by Aghani-Al-Banat and in 2015 returned to Sudan to record with two all-female groups.

The new Adults project sees the recordings being used as a backbone for the music and as a central theme to the album.

Jon is currently studying towards his Master’s at Massey University, with the cultural significance and music of the Northern Sudanese people as the topic for his thesis.

Watch 'Bloodlines' here: