Local band play major US music festival

Sun and the Wolf - local Whanganui lads - used to be The Have.

You could be excused for double taking if Sun and the Wolf were to stroll past you in full costume these days.

The Berlin based group made up of former Whanganui residents Peter Mangan, Brodie White and Mike Tweed have been living and playing music abroad for nearly 10 years, developing into an accomplished and well-respected international act.

The group were invited to perform at the well known 2017 South by South-West (SXSW) festival, which ran from March 10 to 19 in Austin Texas, and was graced by various internationally recognised artists and creatives across disciplines.

Previously known as The Have, the troupe of young Whangani musicians first left the comforts of home in 2008 in search of fame and a place to develop their music.

By 2010 the group had changed their name and released their first album as Sun And The Wolf, entitled White Buffalo.

Local GP and dad of Peter Mangan, Alan Mangan, can recall a time before the glitz and glamour, when his son started the band with a couple of good mates from Whanganui High School in 2001.

The three young friends won the RockQuest competition in 2002, and then set loftier sights, first attendind the SXSW festival in 2004 and again in 2005 when a single of theirs was selected as one of the best new songs of the festival.

Dr Mangan is looking forward to his third visit to Berlin since 2008 at Christmas this year, visiting Peter and his German wife.

Since the release of their first album under the new monika, the group have become a constant on the Berlin music scene, continuing to evolve their sound and touring alongside well known acts such as Wolfmother, Kasabian and The Datsuns.

Their second album Salutations was released in 2014. It was well received by critics across Europe, leading to further tours and a 2015 appearance on Rockpalast, a prestigious German TV show that has hosted many popular artists since its premier in 1974.

Last year saw the development and release of Precipice, their latest single.

If you are interested in hearing some of the groups music, multiple songs are available on YouTube often accompanied by entertaining music videos.

The return to SXSW marked a special occasion for a band that have been able to stay fresh and relevant for over 15 years.