# Six60

Six60 is a New Zealand pop rock band formed in Dunedin, Otago in 2008. The band consists of Matiu Walters (lead vocals, guitar), Ji Fraser (lead guitar), Chris Mac (drums, bass guitar), and Marlon Gerbes (guitar, bass guitar, synthesiser).
Their self-titled debut album was released on 10 October 2011 on their own label Massive Entertainment. The album was produced and mixed by Tiki Taane and debuted at number one in the New Zealand charts and was certified gold within its first week of release. Their first two singles "Rise Up 2.0" and "Don't Forget Your Roots" reached number one and number two respectively on the RIANZ singles chart and were both certified double and triple platinum.
In 2018 the band won five Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards and were the most streamed artist by New Zealanders on Spotify. On 23 February 2019, Six60 became the first New Zealand band to play a sold-out concert at the Western Springs Stadium, to a crowd of 50,000 fans. On 24 April 2021, Six60 played the first concert at Auckland's Eden Park Stadium, to a crowd of 50,000 fans. It was the closing of the Six60 Saturdays country-wide tour and the largest concert of 2021.
In February 2024, founding member Eli Paewai left the band, citing his "personal journey with music is coming to an end".

## History

Six60 was formed in Dunedin; the founding members met while attending University of Otago. The band created their name from the street number of the house they lived at in Dunedin, 660 Castle Street. As Ji Fraser said, "That's where it all began. It was the beginning of everything. It was a place that meant so much to us." In July 2021 the band bought 660 Castle Street and created four $10,000 performing arts scholarships at the University of Otago.
Their local following developed from Dunedin to other student hubs around the country such as Auckland, Waikato, Christchurch and Wellington.
Six60's original EP, released in 2008, contained a track called "Someone to Be Around". This track was left off their debut album but remains one of their most popular songs.
Six60 have a quadruple platinum number-one debut album with triple platinum-selling single "Don't Forget Your Roots", two double platinum-selling singles "Only to Be" and "Rise Up", two platinum-selling singles "Forever" and "Special", and one gold-selling single "Lost".
In early March 2013 the band was featured on George FM Breakfast's 'Damn! I Wish I Was Your Cover' series covering Rudimental's "Feel the Love".
In 2014, their song "Run for It" was featured on the trailer of ITV drama series Prey, starring John Simm.
Chris uses a MOOG Voyager / Ernie Ball Musicman Sting Ray Bass guitars. Matiu and Ji both play Fender Strats, Gibson Les Paul electric guitars, and Gibson and Maton acoustic guitars while Marlon uses an MS2000 / Muse VIP / Fender Strat. Eli plays KDrums drums. Matiu's younger brother Niko Walters debuted as a musician in 2019, and has performed as an opening act for Six60.

## Discography
### Studio albums

| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Certifications |
| Title | Album details | NZ | AUS | Certifications |
| Six60 | Released: 10 October 2011 Label: Massive Entertainment Format: CD, digital download | 1 | — | RMNZ: 12× Platinum |
| Six60 | Released: 27 February 2015 Label: Massive Entertainment Format: CD, 2×LP, digital download | 1 | — | RMNZ: 9× Platinum |
| Six60 | Released: 8 November 2019 Label: Epic, Massive Entertainment Format: CD, digital download, streaming | 1 | 8 | RMNZ: 7× Platinum |
| Castle St | Released: 7 October 2022 Label: Epic, Massive Entertainment Format: CD, digital download, streaming | 1 | 47 | RMNZ: Gold |
| "—" denotes an album that did not chart in that country. |||||

### Live albums

| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
| Title | Album details | NZ |
| The Grassroots Album | Released: 6 September 2024 Label: Massive Entertainment Format: CD, digital download, streaming | 2 |

### Compilation albums

| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications |
| Title | Album details | NZ | Certifications |
| The Six60 Collection | Released: 12 April 2024 Label: UMG Format: Digital download, streaming | 2 | RMNZ: Platinum |

### Extended plays

| Title | EP details | Peak chart positions | Certifications |
| Title | EP details | NZ | Certifications |
| Six60 | Released: 2008 Label: Self-released Format: CD, digital download, streaming | — | |
| iTunes Session EP | Released: 20 December 2013 Label: Massive Entertainment Format: Digital download | 15 | |
| Six60 | Released: 17 November 2017 Label: Massive Format: Digital download | 2 | RMNZ: 6× Platinum |

### Singles
#### As lead artist

| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album |
| Title | Year | NZ | Certifications | Album |
| "Rise Up 2.0" | 2010 | 1 | RMNZ: 3× Platinum | Six60 |
| "Don't Forget Your Roots" | 2011 | 2 | RMNZ: 11× Platinum | Six60 |
| "Only to Be" | 2011 | 5 | RMNZ: 7× Platinum | Six60 |
| "Forever" | 2012 | 11 | RMNZ: 4× Platinum | Six60 |
| "In the Clear" (featuring Paul Mac) | 2012 | 12 | RMNZ: Gold | Six60 |
| "Forever (Movie Version)" | 2013 | — | | Vaterfreuden OST |
| "Special" | 2014 | 1 | RMNZ: 6× Platinum | Six60 (2) |
| "So High" | 2015 | 10 | RMNZ: 4× Platinum | Six60 (2) |
| "White Lines" | 2015 | 5 | RMNZ: 5× Platinum | Six60 (2) |
| "Purple" | 2015 | — | RMNZ: 4× Platinum | Six60 (2) |
| "Stay Together" | 2015 | — | RMNZ: 2× Platinum | Six60 (2) |
| "Exhale" | 2015 | — | RMNZ: Platinum | Six60 (2) |
| "Don't Give It Up" | 2017 | 4 | RMNZ: 7× Platinum | Six60 EP |
| "Rivers" | 2017 | 32 | RMNZ: 4× Platinum | Six60 EP |
| "Closer" | 2017 | 14 | RMNZ: 5× Platinum | Six60 EP |
| "Rolling Stone" | 2017 | 20 | RMNZ: 3× Platinum | Six60 EP |
| "Vibes" | 2017 | 9 | RMNZ: 7× Platinum | Six60 EP |
| "Up There" | 2017 | 37 | RMNZ: 3× Platinum | Six60 EP |
| "The Greatest" | 2019 | 3 | RMNZ: 6× Platinum | Six60 (3) |
| "Please Don't Go" | 2019 | 2 | RMNZ: 4× Platinum | Six60 (3) |
| "Raining" | 2019 | 8 | RMNZ: 4× Platinum | Six60 (3) |
| "Never Enough" | 2019 | 10 | RMNZ: 2× Platinum | Six60 (3) |
| "Long Gone" | 2020 | 5 | RMNZ: 5× Platinum | Six60 (3) |
| "Sundown" | 2020 | 6 | RMNZ: 5× Platinum | Six60 (3) |
| "Fade Away" | 2020 | 9 | RMNZ: 2× Platinum | Non-album singles |
| "All She Wrote" | 2021 | 1 | RMNZ: 4× Platinum | Non-album singles |
| "Pepeha" | 2021 | 2 | RMNZ: 3× Platinum | Non-album singles |
| "Before You Leave" | 2022 | 3 | RMNZ: 2× Platinum | Castle St |
| "Never Been Tonight" | 2022 | 39 | RMNZ: Gold | Castle St |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart in that country. |||||

#### As featured artist

| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album |
| Title | Year | NZ | NZ Artist | AUS | Certifications | Album |
| "Catching Feelings" (Drax Project featuring Six60) | 2019 | 3 | 1 | 43 | RMNZ: 8× Platinum ARIA: Platinum | Drax Project |
| "Always Beside You" (Coterie featuring Six60) | 2022 | — | 11 | — | RMNZ: Platinum | Coterie |

### Other charted and certified songs

| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album |
| Title | Year | NZ | NZ Art. | Certifications | Album |
| "Someone to Be Around" | 2008 | 39 | 12 | RMNZ: 3× Platinum | Six60 (2008 EP) |
| "Beside You" | 2011 | — | — | RMNZ: Platinum | Six60 |
| "Finest Wine" | 2011 | — | 5 | RMNZ: 5× Platinum | Six60 |
| "Get" | 2011 | — | — | RMNZ: Gold | Six60 |
| "Green Bottles" | 2011 | — | — | RMNZ: 2× Platinum | Six60 |
| "Hard For Me" | 2011 | — | — | RMNZ: Gold | Six60 |
| "Lost" | 2011 | — | 12 | RMNZ: Platinum | Six60 |
| "Rest Of You" | 2011 | — | — | RMNZ: Platinum | Six60 |
| "Run For It" | 2011 | — | — | RMNZ: Gold | Six60 |
| "Windy Days" | 2011 | — | — | RMNZ: Platinum | Six60 |
| "Home" | 2013 | — | 9 | | iTunes Session |
| "Waterfalls" | 2013 | — | 6 | | iTunes Session |
| "Die For" | 2015 | — | — | RMNZ: Gold | Six60 (2) |
| "Don't Go Changing" | 2015 | — | — | RMNZ: Platinum | Six60 (2) |
| "Fade To Grey" | 2015 | — | — | RMNZ: Gold | Six60 (2) |
| "Find My Way" | 2015 | — | — | RMNZ: Gold | Six60 (2) |
| "Last Ones Left (Outro)" | 2015 | — | — | RMNZ: Gold | Six60 (2) |
| "Marks On The Wall" | 2015 | — | — | RMNZ: Gold | Six60 (2) |
| "Mine" | 2015 | — | — | RMNZ: Gold | Six60 (2) |
| "Mother's Eyes" | 2015 | — | — | RMNZ: 2× Platinum | Six60 (2) |
| "Too Much" | 2015 | — | — | RMNZ: Gold | Six60 (2) |
| "Kia Mau Ki Tō Ūkaipō / Don't Forget Your Roots" | 2019 | 10 | — | RMNZ: 3× Platinum | Waiata / Anthems |
| "Bitter End" | 2019 | — | — | RMNZ: Platinum | Six60 (3) |
| "Breathe" | 2019 | — | — | RMNZ: Platinum | Six60 (3) |
| "Ghosts" | 2019 | 21 | — | RMNZ: Platinum | Six60 (3) |
| "Tomorrow" | 2019 | 28 | — | RMNZ: 2× Platinum | Six60 (3) |
| "Universe" | 2019 | — | — | | Six60 (3) |
| "Tahi" | 2022 | — | — | | Castle St |
| "Hang On" | 2022 | — | — | | Castle St |
| "Nobody Knows" | 2022 | — | — | | Castle St |
| "Say It Now" | 2022 | — | — | | Castle St |
| "Pepeha" (live acoustic) | 2024 | — | — | | The Grassroots Album |
| "Forever" (live acoustic) | 2024 | — | — | | The Grassroots Album |
| "Someone to Be Around" (live acoustic) | 2024 | — | — | | The Grassroots Album |
| "Rivers" (live acoustic) | 2024 | — | — | | The Grassroots Album |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart in that country. ||||||

## Six60: Till the Lights Go Out

Six60: Till the Lights Go Out is a 2020 documentary film, directed by Julia Parnell, highlighting the bands humble beginnings to reaching global success.

## Awards and nominations

| Awards | Year | Type | Song or album | Notes |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2011 | Single of the Year | "Rise Up 2.0" | Nominated |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2011 | Breakthrough Artist of the Year | "Rise Up 2.0" | Nominated |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2011 | Peoples' Choice Award | | Nominated |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2012 | Single of the Year | "Don't Forget Your Roots" | Won |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2012 | Best Group | "Six60" | Won |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2012 | Peoples' Choice Award | | Won |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2012 | Highest selling New Zealand Single | "Don't Forget Your Roots" | Won |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2012 | Highest selling New Zealand Album | "Six60" | Won |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2012 | Radio Airplay Record of the Year | "Don't Forget Your Roots" | Won |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2012 | Album of the Year | "Six60" | Nominated |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2012 | Best Electronica Album | "Six60" | Nominated |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2013 | Highest selling New Zealand Album | "Six60" | Nominated |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2015 | People's Choice Award | | Won |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2015 | Album of the Year | Six60 | Nominated |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2015 | Single of the Year | "White Lines" | Nominated |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2015 | Best Group | "Six60" | Nominated |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2015 | Best Pop Album | "Six60" | Nominated |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2015 | Highest selling New Zealand Single | "Special" | Nominated |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2015 | Highest selling New Zealand Single | "So High" | Nominated |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2015 | Highest selling New Zealand Album | "Six60" | Nominated |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2015 | Radio Airplay Record of the Year | "Special" | Nominated |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2016 | Highest selling New Zealand Single | "White Lines" | Won |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2016 | Radio Airplay Record of the Year | "White Lines" | Won |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2016 | Highest selling New Zealand Album | "Six60" | Nominated |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2017 | Highest selling New Zealand Single | "White Lines" | Nominated |
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2017 | Highest selling New Zealand Album | "Six60" | Nominated |