Drax Project have shared the influence behind their latest single ‘Woke Up Late’.

Taken from the band’s debut EP ‘Noon’, the single has racked up 8 million plays on Spotify alone.

The New Zealand four-piece have gone from buskers on the streets of Wellington to a record-breaking band in Auckland – now it’s time for the UK to take note.

Recently touring the UK with Camila Cabello as special guests on her run of UK dates, we caught up with the band while in London to share the influence behind their latest single.

Justin Bieber – Love Yourself

It’s just so simple and easy to digest, but the story still has an impact. It’s such a strong song – simple but effective in the best way possible. Nothing overshadows the vocals.

Hailee Steinfeld – Starving ft Zedd

Mainly because the whole song is a hook – all the sections – the chorus, the verse, the bridge – they’re all so singable and have melodies.

Andy Grammer – Fresh Eyes

This song comes to mind because of the way the guitar line is made. It’s just guitar and vocal but it feels like you can just dance to it. It’s just that tempo that feels really good. It’s like sneaky house, and that’s how ‘Woke Up Late’ feels – a sneaky house song.

Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill

Lyrically, this track really tells a story from beginning to end. It’s different to ‘Woke Up Late’ in that it skips back in time, but it’s so relatable and a clear story.

Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back

All of us really liked the way the guitar came in on that song. It’s so hooky just as a guitar line, and we feel the guitar line in ‘Woke Up Late’ is a melody in itself. The melody follows the guitar line the whole way through and feels like a natural progression musically.

You can watch the video for ‘Woke Up Late’ below: