“He could play multiple genres and had played with some big New Zealand bands like Summer Thieves, so he was the perfect fit,” Roseman says.
The band perform a blend of jazz and pop with R&B soul elements - combining nostalgic harmonies with a laidback vibe featuring the silky vocals of Kerr-Bell and accomplished musicianship.
They play original music with the occasional crowd-pleasing cover thrown in at their live shows.
“We try to put our own spin on the covers if we do them.”
The band released its debut EP, Hindsight, in 2022. It is available on Spotify and Apple Music.
Last year they did a winter tour of Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington and Gisborne which included a show at Smash Palace, one of Roseman’s favourite gigs.
“It was so great to be able to play for my family and friends from high school who had seen what I’d been doing through social media, but hadn’t actually heard us live.”
Their introduction to Six60 came through Kerr-Bell when she was of four to people to receive an inaugural Six60 scholarship.
The scholarship allowed them to live at the band’s former 660 Castle St flat in Dunedin. They received a $10,000 rent rebate, as well as mentoring by Six60 and access to the university’s recording studios.
“That gave us [Emily Alice] a foot in the door but that was before Gus and Jakira joined the band,” Roseman said.
A couple of years later, Brophy - by that time a member of Emily Alice - was awarded the scholarship and through that, the band got to play for Six60 live.
“They seemed really interested in what we were doing and were stoked with the progress we’d made,” Roseman said.
Emily Alice will be the opening act at the Six60 concert at the Union Lawn on March 8.
“It’s going to be the biggest crowd we’ve ever played to and we can’t wait.”
