By Ali Ikram
For a band started by a couple of guys who didn't get into music school in Dunedin, Six60 is a fair way from its roots.
“A band coming up the way we have, playing pubs and parties which we love, we love getting into it and having a good time, this just give us another opportunity to show our diversity,” says lead singer Matiu Walters.
Now they're teaming up with a whole lot of people who did get into music school, The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, who'll be playing their songs at a special show in November.
“I've dreamt of doing a show like this,” says Walters.
“I can sit down and listen to the intricate parts of when Stevie Wonder was playing Vector Arena it's just another level of experience.”
In the last twelve months Six60 have put out their first album, it went triple platinum, and staged one of the biggest summer tours of recent memory – all of this with almost zero marketing spend from their label.
But who needs it when Israel is on your side.
“That one girl in Paris who said she found our music because she was in love with the All Blacks and saw Issy Dagg sing ‘Forever’ on the Adidas ad,” says Walters.
But while the company they're keeping is getting more sophisticated, orchestra or no orchestra their drummer will be keeping his own tradition of downing the best part of the bottle of spirits per gig.
“Our manager came down really hard on him because he went through most of a bottle in a night and the last three songs were terrible, which is not something we like to do because we're not that band but Eli's that drummer.”
So there you have it. Six60 – see them before Eli's liver gives out.
3 News