{"id":271487,"date":"2026-02-04T09:21:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T20:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.muzic.nz\/?post_type=interviews&p=271487"},"modified":"2026-02-04T09:21:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T20:21:00","slug":"mnz-interview-six60","status":"publish","type":"interviews","link":"https:\/\/www.muzic.nz\/interviews\/mnz-interview-six60\/","title":{"rendered":"MNZ Interview: Six60"},"author":40,"featured_media":271494,"template":"","class_list":["post-271487","interviews","type-interviews","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"meta_box":{"interview_text":"

If there\u2019s ever been a band that\u2019s become part of the national landscape, it\u2019s Six60. They\u2019re everywhere - and right now, that includes the airwaves. Once again. Their single We Made It<\/em> is currently on high rotation, and their name is stamped across the posters of numerous upcoming gigs. Not that they\u2019ve been away. In 2024, they completed a massive Grassroots Tour of small venues, followed by another 12 shows last year, plus a run of dates across the ditch. Somehow, in the midst of all that, they also managed to knock out their fifth album - a project the band describes as a return to their roots.<\/p>\n

The album\u2019s called Right Here Right Now,<\/em> and it\u2019s dropping on 13 February 2026. It\u2019s basically Six60 plugging in and capturing the vibes of a real live jam - the whole band, single takes, no fuss. As Matiu Walters puts it in their press, it\u2019s all about \u201cfour chords and the truth.\u201d They\u2019ve already whetted everyone\u2019s appetite with the summer singles We Made It<\/em>, Knocking At Your Door<\/em>, and We Are All Kings<\/em>. The release date is set, the live shows are booked, and the band\u2019s socials are buzzing with hype for the launch\u2011day gig and the first big festivals of the year.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/youtu.be\/70NoK22ItUg?si=-wpNTypoXIybUFi2<\/p>\n

To find out more, Muzic.NZ's Tim jumped on a call with guitarist Ji Fraser for a bit of a chat about touring, fans, and getting back to what really matters. When in, he\u2019s a tiny bit late. \u201cSorry,\u201d he says, \u201cThere\u2019s about 1000 kids at my house at the moment.\u201d Behind him is a modern room, with big French doors indicating a patio or garden beyond, and, yes, there\u2019s a number of younger kids running around like crazy things. It\u2019s all very suburban. After acknowledging that this is how most Kiwi musicians are after a few years - music, whanau, fame, etc., we kick into a k\u014drero about the new album and getting back to where it all started - again.<\/p>\n

Last year Six60 booked Auckland\u2019s Stebbing Recording Centre and ended up making their new album in record time. \u201cI don't know if you've been to Stebbing\u2019s, it\u2019s amazing!\u201d Fraser is referring to the long\u2011running Auckland spot where heaps of Kiwi artists have laid down tracks over the years - everyone from Ray Columbus & The Invaders to Split Enz, Gary Havoc & The Hurricanes, Th' Dudes, The Human Instinct, and Waves. \u201cThey still press vinyl there. It's this really cool old recording studio in Auckland and we booked it out for three weeks. And we did the entire album in three days. I think it's like one of the best experiences as a group, together. Like, we're obviously very intuitive now, we know each other really well. But I think it shows how easily and how well we play that kind of music.\u201d<\/p>\n

About getting back to basics, Fraser notes: \u201cI don't know if it was a conscious decision,\u201d says Fraser, \u201dto kind of return to what we originally did in Castle Street, but it happened. The live takes, you know, that's very much akin to what we did when we started. It's hard to put a finger exactly on what the reason was, but it sounds great and it felt great. And that's always a sign of a good album to me. You have a lot of fun and time flies by, which it did!\u201d<\/p>\n

Fraser explains that none of the tracks felt particularly challenging to record. Because the band is so used to the intense, repetitive nature of studio work, it was surprising how smoothly things went. \u201cHonestly, not stressful at all. I just kind of felt the whole process was really easy and it was really enjoyable.\u201d Each song only needed two or three takes, and their producer Malay would quickly call them in to say the take was done - something that initially caught them off guard.<\/p>\n

Thinking more about the process, Fraser describes the sessions as a bit of homecoming to the music, and the audiences, which shaped them. \u201cWe became popular for a thing\u2026 and you forget that maybe you were just really good at that,\u201d he says. By \u201cthat,\u201d he means the band\u2019s distinctly Aotearoa blend - using the M\u0101ori strum, reggae pulse and the sun\u2011drenched hooks in their songs. He says that the band distinctly fall into them when they\u2019re playing live in a room. \u201cIt was a natural avenue to dive back into those things we do really naturally, as a band\u2026 it sounds of this place rather than trying to be something else.\u201d<\/p>\n

I ask about the distinctive Pacific uke sound that the earlier tracks have - for example We Made It<\/em>, Knocking At Your Door<\/em> and Enjoy The View<\/em>. Fraser says they used a small guitar. \u201cAnd it's got this, it's almost like in between a uke and a guitar, really kind of dry and light, but not as high as a uke, in that middle ground.\u201d But, he says, \u201cYou do get that island sound and I reckon you get quite an earthy feeling from it. I think it's quite a cool resonance in the album. It's definitely a character that's there throughout the album.\u201d<\/p>\n

https:\/\/youtu.be\/rEikmMz1scc?si=Pmty-uajKih3TO31<\/p>\n

True that. There\u2019s an \u201cof\u2011this\u2011place\u201d feeling that runs right through the textures. \u201cI think that that's definitely a theme of this album\u201d, he continues, \u201cJust to even step back a bit, like I do. I've always felt like this band is like a really good representation of this country, you know, we're like we were five, obviously four. Now we're three M\u0101ori boys, you know, me and a guy from Australia (Chris Mac, who was born and raised in Darwin before moving to Aotearoa, joined the band in 2009, stepping in as the new bassist after original bassist Hoani Matenga left to pursue a professional rugby career). You know, on that basis. So, it's like - there's nothing more Kiwi than that. It's like we're such a melting pot. I think it's really infusing itself into our music as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fraser circles back to what the band learned chasing \u201cthe secret code\u201d overseas. Previous times they\u2019d travelled the world trying to find it, writing in far\u2011flung studios and working with international names, but this time the answer was simpler: get in a room together at home, roll the tape, and trust the songs. \u201cIn the past,\u201d he says, \u201cWe've gone to every corner of the world to try and like figure out what the secret code is to write the best song.<\/p>\n

He says for him Right Here Right Now<\/em> sounds less like a manifesto and more like a backyard singalong, with a bit of the M\u0101ori strum, some reggae, a dash of island harmonies, and a big chorus hook the whole motu can sing along to. \u201cIt's actually here. It's here in this country and it's here in us and we've got it. Instead of going out to be there, find \u2018it\u2019. We have to take what we have out to the world. And I reckon that's what this album kind of is about. Take what we have to the world, rather than bringing the world to New Zealand, which is cool\u201d.<\/p>\n

This is the band\u2019s 5th<\/sup> album, they have tamariki, houses, mortgages and partners, it\u2019s a bit of a distance from the old days at Castle Street. There\u2019s a distinctive maturity. (BTW, in July 2021 the band bought the beloved old flat, 660 Castle Street, and set up four $10,000 performing arts scholarships at the University of Otago). Listening to the early albums and now this, I notice the topics in the songs are changing, as a reflection of that.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, like we're definitely in different stages of our lives now. You know, there's more, there's more kids running around and, you know, you can't help but infuse your life experience into the music you write and make. We start writing songs about like family and kids or just being together, because it's like it's our experience of life at the moment and a really relatable one too.\u201d The title track definitely honours that sentiment, he agrees.<\/p>\n

And there are some challenging topics, too. Like the toxic masculinity theme in Red Mist<\/em>. On the one hand the singer is calling out a guy for his behaviour. On the other hand, he understands where he\u2019s coming from. But that\u2019s not any kind of excuse. \u201cYou hit the nail on the head. It's kind of like loosely based on Jake the Mus (Once Were Warriors<\/em> - 1994). I think it's just like it's as much as it's confronting, it's also like quite a quite a relatable character, isn't it? Like we all, I feel like we all like know a guy like that dude. But it\u2019s more an observation, that song.\u201d<\/p>\n

Between tours, Walters and Fraser flew to Nashville, where their producer Malay (James Ho), who\u2019s worked with several Six60 projects, is based. They went to sign off mixes and soak up the city\u2019s relentless musical hum. \u201cWe spent three or four days just hanging out, listening to music, experiencing the heart of music in America\u2026 it\u2019s so alive there,\u201d Fraser says. From there they ducked up to Chicago to catch Yelawolf before heading home to make release plans.<\/p>\n

Given the crazy stuff coming out of the White House lately, I had to ask about how safe they felt there? Fraser is philosophical: \u201cI always say\u2026it's almost like the world is a scary, scary place from all the news and things we hear until you just get there. And then, you know, you kind of land in Nashville and you're like, oh, like, you know, it's fine. Nothing's going on here. Also, you know, we've lived all over the world - we lived in L.A. during COVID. I've lived in UK, Europe, France a couple years ago. Like we're pretty used to new environments. I guess I\u2019m not jumping the gun in terms of making a decision on a place. Like, I love America, man. I actually can't wait to go back. I think we're touring there. We're looking to tour there later on this year; we'll be over in North America after our European tour.\u201d<\/p>\n

And given all their overseas touring I was keen to find out how Fraser saw their audience vibe, from the stage, that is. I\u2019d heard from bands like the Black Seeds and Fat Freddy\u2019s Drop that audiences are often heavy with expats, and supporters. At a festival everyone immediately becomes a Kiwi until the set is over. Was that true?<\/p>\n

Fraser nods in agreement. \u201cYeah. I always laugh. Anyone who comes to the show who's not a Kiwi is always just blown away by that - suddenly they're in a room of us. Like if we're playing in London, there'll be, like, 7000<\/em> Kiwi in a room and everybody knows every single word, every single song. Everyone's just like \u201cOh my God! Like, you know? It happens all over the world. It's one of those really cool things, wherever we land in the world, Kiwi (and Aussies, too) kind of come together and hang out and do their thing at the Six60 show\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Six60<\/p>\n

If the Stebbing sessions were the creative pivot, the Grassroots runs were the emotional one. In 2024-25, Six60 deliberately traded stadium spectacle for small rooms and marae, playing more than 50 shows across Aotearoa and Australia. For Fraser, the real challenge wasn\u2019t the recording itself but the months of writing, refining, and figuring out their direction beforehand. That clarity came, in part, from life on the road (April-May 2024), beginning at P\u014dtahi Marae in Te Kao and travelling through places like Piha, Opononi, Taup\u014d, and Stewart Island. The experience shaped where they wanted to go musically, making the final sessions feel effortless.<\/p>\n

He says that shifting from massive stadium shows to intimate gigs completely reset the band\u2019s perspective. Instead of flying into major cities for a few big nights, they were suddenly driving the length of the country, playing tiny venues and remote spots. As he puts it: \u201cThe Grassroots tour was like 52 or something\u2026 just all over the country\u2026 jump in a van\u2026 going through that whole process.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meeting fans face\u2011to\u2011face had a profound effect. Fraser recalls people sharing deeply personal connections to Six60 songs: \"(Songs like) Only to Be<\/em> meant everything to me\u2026\" or \"I walked down the aisle to Forever\u2026\"<\/em> and \"Finest Wine<\/em> was the soundtrack to my last days of university\u2026\" Holy sh*t, man\u2026 what a profound impact some of these songs have actually had on people.\u201d Hearing these stories reminded the band of the emotional weight of their early music. He admits they can sometimes forget their importance when they\u2019re \u201ctoo busy getting out there and getting after it,\u201d but the Grassroots Tour brought them back to centre: \u201cIt probably reignited and reminded us of why we are where we are and what we needed to honour.\u201d<\/p>\n

One way they did that was to circle back to the Chatham Islands in early December last year, which was meant to be part of the original Grassroots Tour. He describes arriving with no idea what to expect. \u201cI kind of imagined like a wild bush in the middle of the ocean\u2026 but it\u2019s massive\u2026 an enormous farm with a lagoon the size of Rarotonga.\u201d The band was warmly welcomed. \u201cWe really got looked after by everyone\u2026 fed seafood - more seafood than we could ever finish.\u201d One particularly special moment was being shown around by a community leader. \u201cI got taken around by the highest\u2011ranking Moriori on the island\u2026 hung out with his family for the day.\u201d The experience was so meaningful that the band now wants to make a tradition out of visiting remote places. \u201cI think we\u2019re going to do that every year\u2026 fly somewhere crazy and do a grassroots show.\u201d<\/p>\n

He goes on to list some of the most unforgettable remote shows. \u201cStewart Island\u2026 Great Barrier\u2026 the Tipuka Tavern in Tokamaru Bay\u2026 places more remote than Great Barrier. People just turn up on horseback.\u201d These moments have become some of the band\u2019s most cherished experiences. \u201cThey are really special to us now, and I think we're going to keep doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year will be another big one, but they\u2019re not abandoning scale - far from it. This year includes an album\u2011release show, a Homegrown headliner, and a stadium spectacular with Synthony<\/em> in Christchurch, complete with orchestral arrangements already underway. The orchestra format, Fraser says, gives the songs fresh weight without sanding off their groove: \u201cHaving a string section can add so much emotional weight\u2026 it makes it a totally new experience.\u201d The band\u2019s schedule confirms dates in February (T\u0101maki Makaurau \/ Auckland); March (Kirikiriroa \/ Hamilton), and May at One NZ Stadium, \u014ctatahi with Synthony - Once In a lifetime. <\/em>This will be a large\u2011scale live music experience that fuses EDM and pop with a full orchestra, alongside DJs, vocalists, and immersive visuals (The show also features Kaylee Bell and Cassie Henderson).<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that's going to be an incredible show.\u201d Fraser reckons (they\u2019ve already been down to check out the new stadium). \u201cThere'll be three parts to the show. There'll be a Symphony part, there'll be our part, and then there'll be, there'll be a part where we perform some of our tracks with the Symphony as a backing track to us. So, we've already been putting tracks together with the conductor and there's a lot of moving parts, but you know, we're pretty well seasoned on the old stadium stage now.\u201d But orchestras are a completely different beast. \u201cIt's just exciting because of all the possibilities, all the things we're talking about doing and the sky's the limit. Usually, just, like, everything's just sitting in our heads, you know? We've obviously done it 9000 times. But, like orchestras that write everything out to the absolute minute detail. It gives you a bit of structure, which is cool, and it creates a whole new experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did some work with the Auckland Philharmonia (In 2012, Six60 collaborated with the APO to perform a special orchestral version of their song Lost<\/em><\/a>,)\u201d he continues, \u201cThat was maybe six or seven years ago. But just I remember playing that and just being blown away at like the energy and the emotion that the orchestra added. This will be that like times 10, you know, at a stadium!\u201d.<\/p>\n

They are also looking forward to performing at Homegrown, which moves from its old home at the waterfront in P\u014dneke to Claudelands, Kirikiriroa. And it\u2019s with mixed feelings that Fraser acknowledges this. \u201cIt was such an iconic show and we kind of cut our teeth at Homegrown in Wellington. Like those are some of the first, those early Homegrowns some of our first really big shows, you know, like when you're hitting like the 10,000 (people) mark, you're getting like pretty serious about your live show and all of that.\u201d But he\u2019s also optimistic for the future of the festival, \u201cI mean, it's cool to headline the new one up in Kirikiriroa \/ Hamilton!\u201d<\/p>\n

Six60 already holds a place in the hearts of many New Zealanders, and their songs are on BBQ and road trip playlists, in wedding and celebration schedules, their gigs are well booked up in family calendars, and their CDs are stuffed in glove boxes, under beds and on the shelves of most home entertainment units. They are iconic already. This new album should cement that even further, I suggest. Everybody has a special place in their heart for Six60 in some form - so keep doing what you're doing. \u201cThanks, man. I really appreciate that. We\u2019re looking forward to taking this album out there, making some new memories.\u201d<\/p>\n

Right Here Right Now <\/em>is out on 13 February 2026<\/p>\n

13 February 2026 - Te Paepae Theatre, T\u0101maki Makaurau (Album Release Concert)<\/p>\n

14 March 2026 - Jim Beam Homegrown (Headlines) - Hamilton, NZ (Claudelands Oval)<\/p>\n

16 May 2026 - Synthony: Once In A Lifetime (also feat. Kaylee Bell, Cassie Henderson, Castaway)- One New Zealand Stadium, Christchurch<\/p>\n

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