Matiu Walters (born 13 April 1987) is a New Zealand singer, guitarist, and vocalist. He is a member of the band Six60, known for the singles Only to Be and Don’t Forget Your Roots. As a band, they dropped their first album in 2011.
The band performed at sold-out stadiums throughout New Zealand in February 2020. The band members met while attending the University of Otago. They dropped a self-titled debut album, which went platinum four times over in the country.
Quick Facts
| Name: | Matiu Walters |
| Born: | 13 April 1987 (age 37 years old) Mt Eden, Central Auckland |
| Nationality: | New Zealander |
| Education: | Otago University |
| Occupation: | Singer, vocalist, guitarist |
| Instrument: | Guitar, vocals |
| Partner: | Caren Freeman |
| Children: | Boh, Kīngi |
| Relatives: | Niko Walters (brother), Muru Walters (grandfather) |
Early Life
Matiu Walters was born on 13 April 1987 in Mt Eden, Central Auckland, New Zealand. He is Te Rarawa, Te Aupouri, Ngāpuhi hard. He did not grow up speaking the language.
The Band: Matiu Walters, the lead singer of Six60?
A group of Otago University students who shared a love of Kiwi music formed the band Six60 in Dunedin in 2006. Matiu Walters is the lead singer and guitarist.
The bandmates had met at a Kora gig and discovered they shared a love of Kiwi music. They were passionate about making their own. The founding members include Matui Walters, Hoani Matenga, Ji Fraser, and Eli Paewai. They met while attending the University of Otago.
Matiu and the band began their Six60 Sessions – The Grassroots Tour. In a first for NZ’s biggest band, they played exclusively in small towns and venues across Aotearoa. They recorded each show to compile a new Best Of album.
After the birth of his daughter, Boh, Walters and the band are in hot demand. They’ve toured from California and New York to Australia and the United Kingdom. They did The Castle Street World Tour in 2022. The band performed in Paris at La Cigale during the Rugby World Cup.
Six60 bade farewell to a bandmate, Eli Paewai, a founding member and drummer at Electric Avenue at Hagley Park, in February 2024. It collaborated with musician and project coordinator Hinewehi Mohi for the album Waiata / Anthems in 2019.
The band also performed Kia Mau Ki Tō Ūkaipō, a reimagining of their version of their 2011 single Don’t Forget Your Roots.
Personal Life
Walters and Caren are engaged. They posed together on the red carpet at the Auckland premiere of the Six60 documentary Till the Lights Go Out at the Civic.
Six60 frontman Matiu Walters has a younger brother, Niko Walters, and his grandfather is Muru Walters.