Aged from 19 to their mid-50s, a new group of eight musicians is making itself felt in the Wanganui music scene.
The Conrays are named after a brand of electric heaters because they're "the hottest little band in town", guitarist John Keating said.
Their next major appearance will be at the Bushy
Park Festival on January 23.
The seeds for the group were sown at the first meeting of the Whanganui Musicians' Club in April 2009. It was Marco Perry, a guitarist and music teacher, who suggested forming a band.
With a brass section of saxophone, cornet, trumpet and trombone, they gelled into an unlikely eightsome.
"Our material goes from 50s to contemporary original music. We play what we like. Our song selection is a bit of a power struggle sometimes. It's democratic at the moment."
The band plays music from country to soul, funk and jazz, and they make the sound their own. Their more recognisable numbers are songs from James Hunter, John Mayer, The Meters and Beck. But they also do a version of Jimi Hendrix's Crosstown Traffic, with the horns taking the lead guitar line.
"The brass fattens up the sound. It's such a neat sound, a pure, natural sound as opposed to a synthesizer that's got cheesy imitation horn sounds in it," Keating said.
All of the members have other band involvements. John Keating and Darren Ahern used to play in The Snowmen, and Whanganui UCOL students Ryan Molan and Corban Keating are both former members of a three-piece called Children. Perry, Ahern and Keating are the blues band, Blue Veins. Corban Keating plays with Jack Mitchell-Anyon in the alt country band Double the Beef.
The Conrays practise every Monday night in the old Chronicle building in Drews Ave. They're not in it for the money, but Mr Keating said they were getting some good gigs. One of the best was a party in Papaiti Rd, where the band got a $500 tip. It's also done several street chants for the Big Orange cafe, and it played at the Wanganui East Club before Christmas.
It will be pounding out the sound from the back of a truck at the Balls of Steel speedway event on January 29.
