The Warratahs Runaway to Nelson
After three decades, seven albums and numerous tours, The Warratahs have cemented themselves in the New Zealand music scene. Band member Barry Saunders said they were ‘‘part of the landscape’’ now.
‘‘For a band that got together for three weeks just to play their favourite songs it just seems very funny that we’re still together.’’
The Warratahs are playing at the Boathouse on March 31, the same venue where they launched their latest album Runaway Days last year on March 30. ‘‘It is joining up a bit of a circle really. ‘‘We’re going to Takaka as well, we haven’t been there for 20 years. I’m looking forward to that.’’
Saunders said the tour with band members Nik Brown, Mike Knapp and Nick Theobald had been ‘‘brilliant’’.
Runaway Days was their first studio album in nine years and received the Best Country Album at the 2016 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards.
‘‘The album has had a real life of its own, that’s the only way I can put it actually.
‘‘Sometimes you put albums out and people don’t take much notice of it but this one [was noticed].’’
At the same time last year The Warratahs were inducted into the New Zealand Gold Guitars Hands of Fame in Gore.
After the concerts in Nelson, Takaka and Picton, the band would take a little break, Saunders said.
‘‘We’re going to close up shop for a couple of months and figure out what we’re going to do. ‘‘Have a cup of tea and lie down.’’ But retiring wasn’t an option, he said. ‘‘No I don’t think we’ll retire. The name doesn’t go away, it’s sort of part of the landscape now.’’
He said the secret behind the band’s long and successful career was the truthfulness of their music.
‘‘It’s totally driven by music, a lot of bands are driven by other things, but it’s a music driven thing.
‘‘And I think people know and feel that. So they’ve sort of taken us on board as a band.’’
When they first started The Warratahs were playing a lot of ‘‘old country songs and batty old traditional things’’, Saunders said.
‘‘Then very shortly after just introduced my own songs. We’re still making records.
‘‘We did a lot of shows to a lot of people and they haven’t forgotten us.’’
Saunders said one of the things he’d like to check off his list was a live album.
‘‘That’s something I would like to do. But I don’t know about the rest of the guys.
‘‘If we recorded something and it felt really good then obviously we would put it out, but you know I’ve got a bunch of new songs and who knows where they will go. ‘‘We just follow the songs these days.’’