Six60 have released their first single of 2022, “Before You Leave”, the first taste of their hugely-anticipated fourth studio album.
The beloved New Zealand band sound refreshed on the track, which saw the five-piece reunite in their Dunedin studio after a long and strict national lockdown.
The lyrics find lead singer Matiu Walter reflecting on both personal and universal matters. “A lot has changed since our last album. There have been highs and lows: our hugely successful tour was a special moment for us last year, but the pandemic obviously brought the world to its knees,” he explains.
“My biggest change though, was becoming a father – you always hear when you have kids that your life will change forever and you really can’t understand it until it happens. One day you think you have the world figured out and then the next you realise how little you actually know. I felt the overwhelming urge to pass wisdom on and what knowledge and experience I have acquired onto my newborn daughter. She’s still a bit young to have a conversation, so with the help of the boys we tried to put it all into this new single.”
“Before You Leave” will feature on the band’s forthcoming – surprisingly not self-titled – album, Castle St, which takes its name from the Dunedin street where some of the band’s members live during their foundational university years.
“The lockdown that cancelled the last tour really forced us to spend significant time away from each other for the first time in a long time, so when we finally got back together it almost felt like being a new band again and we wanted to showcase each individual and what it means to be a band,” Walter adds.
“This isn’t the kind of music you can make by yourself in your bedroom. It won’t just be our instruments you hear on the upcoming music, but all our vocal harmonies and BVs were done by the band as a whole. It really lets you feel the breadth and spirit of Six60. An album that is real takes a lot of love and trust by the people involved and adding our fans into that circle is a really exciting next chapter.”
After the release of Castle St on October 7th (preorder here), Six60 will embark on a New Zealand tour over the following few months, with stellar special guests including Tones and I, Drax Project, and Lime Cordiale (see full details below).
Earlier this month, Six60 were confirmed as headliners for the inaugural Panhead Rolling Stone New Zealand Awards, set to take place in Auckland on Wednesday, August 31st. The band are also nominated for Best Single (“Pepeha”) and the Rolling Stone Global Award.
Six60’s “Before You Leave” is out now.
Six60 New Zealand Tour
Saturday, October 29th
Sky Stadium, Wellington
With Tones and I, Supergroove, Coterie and Niko Walters
Tickets: Ticketek
Saturday, November 5th
McLean Park, Napier
With Drax Project, Songs of Zion, Coterie and Paige
Tickets: Ticketek
Saturday, November 12th
Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua
With Kora, Rob Kuha with Ka Hao, Coterie and Kaylee Bell
Tickets: Ticketmaster
Saturday, November 19th
Eden Park, Auckland
With Lime Cordiale, Supergroove, Ladi6 and Coterie
Tickets: Ticketmaster
Saturday, December 10th
Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch
With Lime Cordiale, Lee Mvtthews, Coterie and RIIKI REID
Tickets: Ticketek
Saturday, March 4th 2023
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
With Kora, Mitch James, Coterie and Hina
Tickets: Ticketmaster
