STACK NZ Mar #60

EXTRAS

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Matiu Walters

The first Six60 album helped to take you guys to places like Glastonbury and SXSW. Do you have any plans for where the next one might take you? I think [ Six60 Deluxe ] will take us much further. The first album opened a lot of doors, but I feel like this new sound will allow us to step through and help solidify a place internationally. I believe it can get us bigger shows, more radio play, and more collaborations. You guys have all come together from different musical backgrounds. Does that benefit your music together or does it make getting on the same page difficult? Every once in a while it becomes difficult when writing music, but when it comes to playing live, it is the best thing possible. Nothing is boring to us and we can bring influence in from everything. A few years back you performed with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. How did that come about, and do you have any plans to top that? We always wanted to work with an orchestra, and after collaborating with them on our track Lost , it made sense to turn that idea into a show. It’s hard to say if we would work with an orchestra again at the moment, but we definitely have plans to top it.

changes that we thought were necessary in order to rid ourselves of that pressure and get back to what is best for our music. And that is to do whatever you want with complete confidence. Were you at all surprised by how much New Zealand – as well as the rest of the world – got behind your debut record? Sure. I don’t think anyone can fully anticipate success. You know that something is good, and honest, and I think the fact that we are unapologetic and unpretentious is what people like about Six60. It’s what separates us from others. How would you compare the new LP to the first? The new record is much more concise, comprehensive and thought through. Plus our skills and tastes have changed a lot over the last three years. It is very much a progression from the first record, however it’s similar to the first record in that we write songs about people, for people. How do you decide on which image to use for your album covers? Both of them have been unusual and striking choices so far. With both album covers we have been fortunate enough to collaborate with Michael Parekowhai, a local and internationally renowned artist. Everything we do, whether it in studio or on stage, has a depth and intent that we believe sets us apart. This is the thing that creates something more than just music, it creates a feeling, and to me that is what music is. More recently my obsession has been simplicity and conceptuality, of which Michael is a master. Our covers are simple, striking and conceptual. You won’t miss it on the shelves.

Matiu Walters is the frontman of Six60, who have enjoyed a meteoric rise since forming in Dunedin in 2008. The five former Otago University students’ self-titled debut album was the biggest selling local release of 2011, with the group going on to win six Tuis at the New Zealand Music Awards the following year. The eagerly awaited follow-up – which rather confusingly is actually untitled – has just been released. So what have you guys been up to since the release of your debut back in 2011? We’ve been touring the world consistently, writing, collaborating and having a hell of a time! More recently we have been finishing the last touches on the new album and putting together a great new show to tour in May. Given the huge success of your debut, were you feeling much pressure to deliver on the follow-up? There was a moment where we did feel the pressure, and it can be a very toxic thing if you let that pressure dictate how you are creatively. While we were living in Berlin the pressure and discomfort was high, so much that we wrote what we thought was going to be the album, only to re-write it twice more. We made

What have you been listening to lately to get your creative juices flowing? I’m obsessed with D’Angelo’s latest album Black Messiah , he is one of my biggest and earliest influences. Other than that I’ve been smashing the new Six60

• The new Six60 album is out now

record of course!

MARCH 2015 JB Hi-Fi www.jbhifi.co.nz

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