Whangarei born and bred, Otium is a powerhouse project presenting a genre merger which has captured the ears of the New Zealand music scene. The Northland based five piece have built a substantial following in their home region with venues often pulling a crowd that overshadows that of some of the Nation’s headliners. Their dynamic live show will leave you fully engrossed from the first crack of the snare to the last bass lick. Their unique brand of smooth harmonies, funk stabs and solid rhythms will turn any crowd into a sweaty, dancing mess no matter the occasion.

Following the independent release of their self-titled debut EP, 2018 kicked off with bookings at New Zealand's largest festivals and included their first headline show in Auckland which culminated with the band signing to management entity, Stone Cold Records.

The September release of their LP ‘YOU’ was met with acclaim, receiving positive reviews from media including RNZ, RadioActive and NZ Musician.

“Layered, and more complex than one would expect from something that on the surface just seems like another pop song.“ - muzic.net.nz

“With You is a funky upbeat gem which includes a range of diverse musical elements that force any listener to groove with its funk full bassline and eclectic use of percussion. Comparatively, For You slows it right down , flooding its audience with emotion the full ballad bolden's the heart felt vocal honesty of Jesse Samu’s lyrics. “If you are a fan of reggae, pop, R&B etc then I recommend checking them out.” - The Speakeasy

In late 2018, Otium embarked on a national tour. Thanks to funding from Creative New Zealand, they were able to hit eight of the North Island’s best venues and bring their music to thousands of new listeners around the country.

2019 started with a recording session at Roundhead, a heaving performance at Soundsplash and the release of new funk banger ‘Dollar For The Man’. Otium celebrated this with three massive release shows in Wellington, Auckland and Whangarei. They are now entering into a hibernation period in the studio where they will be working on their debut album which is set for an early 2020 release.