Matiu Walters: lead singer and guitarist of Six60 on the band launching a new country and roots festival in Matakana

Six60 have unveiled a new country and roots music festival in Matakana, which is set to take place this January.

The 'Sweet Home Aotearoa' festival line-up will be curated by Six60 and promises to feature big names to bring a taste of Nashville to New Zealand shores. 

Six60 lead singer and guitarist Matiu Walters says he's felt a strong connection to country and roots music every time he goes to Nashville - and he thought it would be a cool idea to bring that to New Zealand.

"Roots and country have this cross-section that I really love and I think it's just going to be really fun...it's just something new that I think people are going to really love."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Roots fa right, you love Yourself five eighteen, You love yourself?

Speaker 2 (00:08):
A little bit of country. You might love this. Six sixty,
the band you're listening to at the moment, is launching
a brand new country and roots music festival. It's going
to be in Mata Khana in early January. Matthew Walters
is the lead singer and the guitarist obviously of six
sixty and with us much you Hello, Hello, I'm very well,
thank you? Why country?

Speaker 1 (00:27):
Well? To be honest, I've been spending a lot of
time in Nashville just writing a lot of music, and
every time I go there, I actually feel this this
connection with back home and like working obviously, Nashville's at
this country music hub, and there's just this really strong
connection between roots and country. I felt for a while
between you know, the songwriting, the storytelling and like you
no real instruments, you know, and this honesty and this lyric.

(00:49):
So I just thought it'd be a really cool idea
to bring a country and roots festival to New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (00:55):
So are you gonna? Are you going to potentially draw
two completely different crowds to the same place. It's like
one crowd coming to see country and one crowd coming
to see Roots.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
Well, I'm sure there's going to be a divide like
there are most times at shows, and particularly six sixty shows,
But I think they're different people who enjoyed the same things,
which is why, like I said, that Roots and Country
really have this kind of this cross section that I
really love and I think it's just going to be
I think it's going to be a really fun and
it's something new that I think people are going to

(01:24):
really love.

Speaker 2 (01:25):
Look, you know this already. Festivals are really hard at
the moment. It's hard business to get into heaps them
are falling over. So have you checked it out completely?

Speaker 1 (01:36):
I think so. Well, Look, I'm just always in for
doing cool stuff and the timing feels right, and like
I said, it just feels like something new and exciting
and something for all types of people. I think festivals
can be kind of exclusive when it comes to you know,
age groups and demographics, and I think this is going

(01:58):
to be something that that everyone can come to an
experience and enjoy. So I'm not worried on that front
at all. I think it's going to be This is
a great asset for the music, for New Zeald Music industry.
I think so.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
Now listen, just put just dispel the smith. You haven't
set this festival up entirely for Mike Hosking, have you what?
Because he's a country music lover, and he lives in Madicana,
and he's going to be taking a long break over summer.
It just feels like this is just is just done
for him.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
Let's just run with that, with that story. I think
it's going to be good for his ego.

Speaker 2 (02:28):
Rename it could you could probably will his ego will
love it. You could rename it the Mike Hoskin Country Fatal.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
Well sponsored by sponsored by We'll get them. We'll give
him a VIP area.

Speaker 2 (02:39):
This is becoming real for him right now. Do you
best of liked with him? I really appreciate you talking
to us much. You Walter's six sixty frontman.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
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