MNZ Interview: Muzic Speak S01 / E07 – Coridian

Hard-hitting powerhouse rock four-piece Coridian have been tearing through New Zealand’s alternative/progressive scene for a decade, crafting music that’s cinematic, electrifying, and impossible to ignore.

Made up of the Raven brothers (Mike, Kris, and Nick), along with frontman Dity Maharaj, Coridian is best known for their intense, adrenaline-fueled live performances, and songs which can shift from haunting melodies to explosive riffs in a heartbeat.

Coridian recently announced that they will be going on hiatus, but not before we all have the opportunity to celebrate 10 years of incredible music and memories. Coridian’s final show takes place on Saturday 30 August at Auckland’s The Tuning Fork.

Coridian will be joined by Pull Down The Sun, Outside In and Nick Raven’s newest music venture, Cry Wolf, for a night of high-octane performances and a powerful farewell to one of Aotearoa’s most beloved rock acts.

Muzic.NZ’s Lisa had one last chance to catch up with the band before they go their separate ways, diving into a decade of memories, milestones and music.

Starting with introductions – who are the members of Coridian, what instruments do each of you play, and how did you all get involved in music?

Kris Raven (Drums), Nick Raven (Bass), Mike Raven (Guitar), Dity Maharaj (Vocals).

The Raven brothers grew up in a musical household. Our dad is a guitarist and songwriter who’s played in bands like Iceberg and The Legends for years, and our mum’s also musical. There was always music in the house – everything from The Who to Pink Floyd – and we were encouraged to pick up instruments early.

Mike went straight into guitar and it just clicked. Kris started with keyboard, then guitar, before finding his home behind the drums. Nick started on drums, then flute, before settling into bass. Over the years we all played in our own bands and jumped in and out of each other’s projects – Rockquest, Battle of the Bands, our own shows and tours – and we always jammed together too.

Mike played with Splinter and Tegan, Kris with The Rickshaws and Altered States, and Nick joined Altered States as well. Nick also plays bass for Cry Wolf.

Dity’s been around music for as long as he can remember. He started piano in primary school, then in high school picked up guitar, joined the choir, and sang in musicals. Eventually, he took the natural step into bands – most notably fronting Mile High, who were a big part of the Aotearoa rock scene for several years.

All up, we’ve each been involved in the NZ music and rock scene for over 20–25 years.

Coridian grew out of earlier projects Chuck Norris Trio and Mile High – what sparked the decision to start fresh at that time, and build something new together?

Chuck Norris Trio started as an instrumental project, then became Chuck Norris with Brent on vocals. We played some shows and recorded a bit, but it never fully clicked.

Kris and Dity first met back in the late 2000’s when Mile High and The Rickshaws shared bills. After Mile High wrapped up, the two kept in touch. Dity later did guest vocals for Altered States, and sparks flew. Around the same time, he’d heard some Chuck Norris material.

One rehearsal with the Raven brothers and it all fell into place – those jams turned into songs that would eventually become Oceanic. From the start, it just felt right.

Mike, Kris, and Nick – Being in a band with siblings can be intense. How have you navigated brotherhood alongside music?

It’s definitely a double-edged sword. We’re brutally honest with each other, which can be tough in the moment but keeps us moving forward. The upside is that we have this built-in musical telepathy – we often know where the other wants to go with a song without saying a word.

Sure, there’ve been heated moments over the years – what band doesn’t have them? – but we’ve learned how to balance the brotherhood and the band.

Ten years as a band is massive – what does hitting this milestone mean to each of you personally?

It’s huge. We’ve been reflecting a lot lately, sharing stories on social media and podcasts. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved – all the people we’ve met, the friends and fans who’ve stuck with us, the memories from shows all over NZ.

We’ve seen so much of the country, played in so many places, and had a great time doing it. It’s been a grind at times, but always worth it.

What does your creative process look like now compared to when you first started out?

In a lot of ways, it’s still the same. We’re old school – we like getting in a practice room and jamming out riffs until a song starts to form. It’s always been collaborative.

The big change came when we started working with Z (our producer) early on. That experience taught us to be more open to changing arrangements and rethinking parts. The same goes for our merch, artwork, and media – we keep most of it in-house or work closely with people we trust, so we always have control over our creative direction.

Your 10 Year Anniversary show features a stacked line-up – Pull Down The Sun, Outside In, and Cry Wolf. What else can fans expect from the night? Will any of your previous collaborators be joining you on stage?

We couldn’t be happier with this line-up. We’ve played with Pull Down The Sun for years, so they had to be part of this. Outside In have also been a big part of our journey, and Cry Wolf – well, Nick’s in the band, so it made sense!

Fans can expect a massive setlist, a few deep cuts, some surprises, and a bit of a trip down memory lane. We’ll have one guest from way back joining us for a song, but otherwise it’s just the four of us – the way it started.

Has there been a show or venue that felt like a full-circle moment for the band?

Kings Arms was definitely one. We started there as an opener and later headlined our own shows before it closed. It’s one of those iconic venues that meant a lot to NZ music.

Another was The Powerstation. Playing there was a bucket-list goal, and to do it twice in one year was a real pinch-me moment.

If you could give your younger selves advice before that very first Coridian gig, what would it be?

Our first official show was at Lucha Lounge in Newmarket – a small but awesome venue. If we could give our younger selves advice, it would be: relax, get in the zone, and don’t overthink it. You learn that along the way, but it’s part of the journey.

After a decade in the game, what’s something you’ve learned about yourselves – either as musicians or as people?

To be in the moment and enjoy it – from the first note to the last. It’s easy to get caught up chasing the next big thing and forget to appreciate what’s happening right now.

Also, not being so hard on ourselves. Looking back, we’ve done some pretty awesome stuff, and it’s important to acknowledge that.

Redefine with Ekko Park’s Jessie Booth has racked up serious numbers online – what does that song represent in your musical journey?

This video is a favourite for sure; I know Jordan Frost (Director/Editor) worked extremely hard and a crazy amount of time on this video. It’s cool that it was able to rack up that many views because it was an incredible amount of work put into it. Redefine is also quite an old song from our catalogue that has lived various lives. It also connects to Define (from Eldur), carrying on themes between the two albums too. It’s not a normal set list staple but it’s a song we all love and glad we recorded. The addition of Jesse Booth’s vocals took the song to another level and like a lot of our video collabs, she was able to put her imprint onto the track vocally and it worked so well with Dity’s style and melodies.

Your music videos are always visually distinct – how do you keep the ideas flowing and stay creatively inspired?

We have been lucky to work with some incredible music video directors/editors over the years. Mardo El Noor worked on three of our videos (Reflections, Better Off and The Witness) spanning a couple of albums. These videos were all his artistic vision and we loved his creativity and concepts. The sets were really cool as well. The Witness was also filmed horizontally, which was not common at the time.

Jordan Frost did our green screen trilogy (Wicked Game, State of Mind and Redefine) during the Hava cycle. Jordan has a great eye and work ethic, I know the Redefine video was a lot of work and the final product was amazing. We have been lucky to work with these creatives and they have a lot of freedom on ideas and concepts as well as working in any ideas we have or that inspire the song lyrically as well. We also worked with Francis Wheeler (Seed, Rite of Passage), Rob Hartnell (Rakshasa), Corey Fleming (Blind Faith) and Dity (Co-Exist) has worked on a couple as well in either producer or editor capacity as well. It’s been great to have such a variety of ideas and visions and everyone was so easy to work with. Highly recommend all these guys.

Catch Coridian Live on Saturday 30 August, 2025 @ The Tuning Fork, Auckland along with Pull Down The Sun, Outside In and Cry Wolf.