Blackbird, have been in and around the NZ music scene since 2003. A summer project for original members Hamish Pinkham and Kyle Bell, has now turned into more than just a hobby with regular performances at some of NZ’s festival events and regular tours with international artists such as Bedouin Soundclash (Canada) and Bonjah (Australia). Each summer “The Birds” - as they are often called – meet up with new tunes and ideas which express each individual’s flavour and influence and apply it to the flocks of chicks that attend. 

Blackbird has slowly been establishing a solid loyal fanbase with a collection of soulful Folk songs which encapture the influence of the East Coast and all that the lifestyle brings. Their first EP release is due out in 2012 including the popular East Coast Toast.

Blackbird consists of original singer songwriters Kyle Bell and Hamish Pinkham, with Helen Corry, Jack Castle, Dion Whaanga and Nego Beto from Brazilbeat Soundsystem joining the nest. The addition of Jack Castle and Helen Corry to the fold provides further flavor and energy to the Blackbird sound, Helen Corry with her soulful soothing vocals, and Jack Castle with his strong energetic performance. Dion Whaanga and Nego Beto deliver the all important tempo and beat to the Blackbird melodies.

Summer will see Blackbird once again open proceedings in Gisborne on New Year's Eve at Rhythm and Vines and an expected stellar performance at summer locations near you. Don’t miss out on hearing Blackbird this summer, as it’s a long winter with out them.

Tim Richards is a passion-driven musician and DJ whose creations fall somewhere between classic disco; the futuristic side of house, and bass-driven analogue techno. His career has spanned nearly two decades, and his musical exports now cover the globe. 

Aotearoa's newest reggae/soul/acoustic flavour hitting you with some deep and cheeky grins...Arohanui shining down on ya!!!

Once transmitted through speakers and into the airwaves, music belongs to the people. The audience ascribes meaning and significance to songs and ultimately absorbs them for life.

By the same token, SIX60 belong to listeners. The history-making award-winning New Zealand quintet—Matiu Walters [vocals, guitar], Marlon Gerbes [keyboard], Ji Fraser [lead guitar], Chris Mac [bass], and Eli Paewai [drums]—stir rock, reggae, funk, and pop together with a twist of kiwi roots music and Maori instrumentation. Invoking this spirit and Kiwi roots, their latest music and next evolution showcases traditional Maori instruments such as Pūtātara and Pūkāe (stone and long trumpets), Bone Kōauao (Bone Flute), and Karanga Weka (Stone Flute). “We want to take our Maori culture and put it into a mainstream radio world,” exclaims Matiu. “There are only a handful of people in the world who can play these instruments, and we felt getting them into a mainstream album could give them a chance to stay alive.”
Over a decade before breaking records and selling out stadiums back home or signing to Epic Records stateside, the boys then welcomed the world into their musical ecosystem and set a career precedent in 2008 while still students.

“At University of Otago, we shared a flat at 660 Castle Street in Dunedin, New Zealand,” recalls Matiu. “We originally didn’t name the band. Instead, our first college fans gave the band the name by calling us the ‘SIX60 Boys,’ which evolved into SIX60. We adopted this philosophy into our albums. The fans add the final touches and have naming rights over things we do. The songs aren’t done until the audience has them. So, the album doesn’t really have a spirit or a name until the crowd consumes it.”

As such, SIX60 engender a rare level of devotion from fans, bordering on downright phenomenal. The group’s 2011 full-length, SIX60 (I. The Gold Album), bowed at #1 on the charts in New Zealand and eventually went septuple-platinum. SIX60 (II. The Colours Album). saw them reclaim the top spot on the charts in 2015 and go quintuple-platinum. To date, New Zealand single sales exceed 1 million as global streams surpass 200 million and counting. At the 2018 NZ Music Awards, they garnered “Best Group” in addition to five other honors.

A year later, they made history. Performing their biggest show to date, they sold out Western Springs Stadium in New Zealand and became “the first New Zealand Act to Sell 50,000 Tickets to a Show at the Stadium” (They repeated the same feat for 2020!). The gig proved to be a major milestone both professionally and musically.

Haki (Jack Castle) is following