A critical and commercial sensation in their home country of New Zealand, Kiwi five piece SIX60 continuously break records for ticket sales, chart-topping albums & singles and new innovative ways of getting their music to their fans. But outside of their antipodean environs, they were less well-known. That is, until a string of concerts last year changed the band’s trajectory on the global stage forever. The nationwide tour known as ‘SIX60 Saturdays’ culminated in the band playing to over 50,000 people at Auckland’s Eden Park Stadium - and they were the only band performing live to crowds anywhere in the world at the time.
SIX60 have a composite sound which is borne of all the many influences - both musical and personal - each member brings with them. Bassist Chris Mac, brought up solely on classical music such as Beethoven and Chopin, had his musical awakening upon hearing punk for the first time: “Dead Kennedys, The Sex Pistols and proto-punk like Costello: this was music that made me feel for the first time - feel something more than just skill and technique”. Mac’s classical and punk influences are met with a love of The Beatles and Kiwi roots/reggae bands in keyboardist Marlon Gerbes - but then other members of the band share a love R&B, soul, funk, hip hop - even drum & bass. This wide range of influences is reflected in the band’s material: early mega-hit ‘Don't Forget Your Roots’ is a sundrenched, laid back reggae-tinged number, but live favourite ‘Sundown’ combines electronic sounds and syncopated afro rhythms to create a hybrid R&B pop sound. “It’s important to keep pushing...otherwise we get bored”, says Walters - “We find ourselves having a sound, but it’s this combination of where each of us came from. It just happened naturally”.
