Six60 frontman’s business tips
New Zealand Music Month may have come to an end, but for Kiwi musicians the challenges of running the business side of their music careers continue.
In an interview for small business platform Manaaki, Matiu Walters of Six60 has opened up about the business model that took the five-piece band from their first album in 2011 to performing at sold-out stadiums throughout New Zealand in February this year.
Manaaki co-founder Pat MacFie said the chat was set up to help artists hit hard by the restrictions from Covid-19.
‘‘Matiu and the guys have created an incredible business model that disrupts everything traditional about the music industry.’’
Walters spoke candidly on Instagram about the band’s method for success, which started when they hired an engineer from the Rock Shop in Dunedin to record their first album.
Matiu explained how the band’s following grew organically in the beginning but being decisive and having ‘‘ridiculous’’ goals helped get them to the next level.
An early goal was to maintain control over their own music, catalogue, publishing and rights, so they established Massive Entertainment.
‘‘It wasn’t good enough to just be a band and write songs. Let’s be moguls,’’ Walters said.
Walters talked about how the band held all the takings from their first Western Springs gig and used it to fund their next ‘‘big play’’ which ultimately led to their biggest year yet and sold-out stadiums in Lower Hutt, Wha¯nga¯rei, New Plymouth, Hamilton, Auckland and Dunedin.
He also covered some of the challenges the band faced over the years, including negative opinions around their identity.
‘‘Some were saying it’s not white enough but it’s not brown enough, we were doing whatever we felt was cool to us, and that pissed some people off.
‘‘We are going to do this our way and represent this place and who we are to the maximum.’’
Walters believes failures are equally as important as success. ‘‘They’re two walls you bounce between. As long as you’re going in the right direction . . .’’
His advice to those in business now is to keep moving. ‘‘Get off your ass and begin. And never stop. Just keep going and never take ‘no’ for an answer.’’
The Government has announced a $175 million package to support jobs in the music and arts sector.