Six60

One of New Zealand’s most enduringly popular acts, Six60 reached major stardom throughout the Antipodes by merging silky R&B-inflected vocals with pop constructions that absorb funk, dance, reggae, and electronic textures. A fiercely autonomous outfit that pens its own songs, tracks them in a private studio, and funnels most releases through its in-house label, the group began as a casual diversion among university friends before becoming a nationwide phenomenon. When the Six60 EP surfaced in 2017, its entire set of six tracks simultaneously occupied the New Zealand Top Ten. The band’s first long-player, issued in 2013, posted huge sales and spotlighted signature cuts including the audience favorites “Rise Up” and “Don’t Forget Your Roots,” while the third album—likewise titled Six60—pushed the sound ahead without disturbing its established identity.

The five founding members—Matiu Walters (vocals and guitar), Ji Fraser (guitar), Marlon Gerbes (keyboards and samplers), Hoani Matenga (bass), and Eli Paewai (drums)—assembled in 2008 as students at the University of Otago in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Their name was taken from the student residence at 660 Castle Street where they first rehearsed. Early shows consisted mainly of covers performed at parties and campus events. In 2009 Hoani Matenga left to pursue professional rugby, and Chris Mac stepped in on bass and keyboards. Nearing graduation in 2010, the remaining members decided to document their sound on an EP; after locating a producer at a local shop and filling the weeks before the session with newly written originals, they pressed and distributed the disc themselves. Its strong reception prompted plans for a full album. The 2010 single “Rise Up 2.0” climbed to number one on the New Zealand charts and earned double-platinum certification, while the 2011 follow-up “Don’t Forget Your Roots” reached number two and later achieved quadruple-platinum sales. The self-titled debut album arrived in October 2011, topped the national album chart, and was certified eight-times platinum, becoming the year’s best-selling domestic release.

Sony’s European division soon offered a deal, but creative and contractual friction left the band sidelined in Germany, where they concentrated on live work and songwriting while resolving the impasse. Massive Entertainment released the second Six60 album in February 2015; it spawned three Top Ten singles—“Special,” “So High,” and “White Lines”—and was certified five-times platinum. The six-track Six60 EP followed in 2017, selling quadruple platinum and placing every song inside the national Top Ten, each reaching gold or better on its own. In February 2019 Six60 became the first New Zealand act to headline a sold-out concert at Auckland’s Western Springs Stadium, drawing 50,000 fans. That same year the group returned to a major-label partnership, issuing the third Six60 album jointly through Massive Entertainment and Epic Records; it again reached number one and earned another platinum award.