Full Exposure

Fresh from their R&V set the Mako Road boys are ready to take over the world. First stop O’Week at The Factory in a gig not to be missed paid for and put on by us, everyone’s second favourite student magazine. Tickets are selling fast but if you are reading this then hit us up on Facebook we may have some at the ridiculously low student price of $12.50 or we may have a few to give away to deserving winners.

Nexus: Introduce yourself. Who are Mako Road?

We’re Wardy, CJ, Connor and Robbie. Four small town boys who in 2016 formed a dusty Christchurch Uni covers band and began recording songs in their garage.

Nexus: Where does the name come from?

We love sharks and have shark posters everywhere. Shark mugs, shark shorts, shark slippers, shark wearable towels. Shark week is our favourite week. Coming up with a band name is hard so we just did what every 3rd band does and named ourselves after a street, while whacking in our shared passion: sharks.

Nexus: People draw comparisons between your music and Sticky Fingers’, how does it feel to be likened to such an iconic group?

Sticky Fingers make great music, we’ll take it.

Nexus: Billing yourself as “indie pop-rock”, your music and aesthetic draws from a lot of places, sharing similarities between contemporary ska, folk pop, stoner rock and even a little bit of grunge, all balled together into a wavy upbeat blend. Where does it all come from?

We each have pretty diverse tastes in music, and from that everyone brings their own style into the jam room. We try to accomodate for all our individual tastes, and the more we work together the closer we get to developing a Mako sound. Not having any musical training amongst ourselves probably lends to our mixing of genres, whatever sounds good goes good! And we like the idea of there being no rules to music.  

Wardy (singer) gets inspiration from the likes of John Lennon and Stevie Wonder. CJ (bassist) gets down to Vulfpeck for their skitz as basslines, house music, Leisure, and goes to sleep to solo piano. Connor (guitarist) froths the Red Hot Chilis, Tom Misch and Anderson Pak. Robbie (drummer) gets around Khruangbin, Matt Corby, and Snarky Puppy.

We all get around Fat Freddy’s Drop, Tame Impala and Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Huge fans of upcoming Kiwi Indie rockers Hans Pucket as well the preash-lords Dolphin Friendly.

Nexus: With the band’s recognition growing, and finding traction more and more across New Zealand, what’s your goal as a group for the new decade?

We want to tour the world and have fun making the best music we can. We want to get to a place where we can play in front of a bunch of humans who are strangers to our music, and have them cutting shapes by the end of the set. We’re trying to get ourselves playing outside of NZ as much as possible. We’ve popped over to Aus a few times, and heading back in April for a cheeky tour and Splendor in July. Should be a loose one!

Nexus: You performed at RnV, how did it feel taking your more laidback, wavey sound to the party goer festival crowds?

It was mean, we played at a heap of big festivals over the summer, we were blown away by the sizes of the crowds and how into it they were. Some of our tunes are pretty laid back but we kick them up a notch when we play them live and build the energy up throughout the set.

Nexus: This one sounds like a school guidance councillor question but what was the best bit of advice you received when you were starting out?

We kinda fumbled through it and did everything ourselves, from recording to booking gigs and organising tours. But any advice from that experience would be work hard, gig lots in as many spots as possible, don’t drink more than six beers before going on stage, and no less than 2. And don’t wait for permission from anyone else! You’re the masters of ya own ship.

Nexus: If you could spend the day with any musician living or dead who would it be?

The boys from Dolphin Friendly, they’re a bunch of legends.

Nexus: What do you guys do on your days off?

Full couch charge obviously