Seventeen Minutes with Arlo Mac

Words by Hannah Powell

Sitting upon a '70's couch in a recording studio deep in Newtown, Wellington, I chat with up and coming band Arlo Mac. With snippets from their latest track playing over the speakers as their drummer plays in the next room, the talk turns to Smokefree Rockquest, recording, and what’s next.

As a four-piece band based in Havelock North, the boys’ rise to fame has been a fast one. With guitarists Ben Bush and Harry Mason, bassist Joe Ledword and drummer Jack Waddington, the band “entered Rockquest not really expecting anything”. “It was quite a casual year,” lead vocalist and guitarist Harry said. “We’d just started in a band”. 

Having played a couple of gigs in Hawkes Bay, and only written a handful of songs, Arlo Mac placed second in Smokefree Rockquest’s Regionals, before winning Nationals only a short time later last year. On the receiving end of an $8,000 recording and video grant, they recorded their first single ‘Ease My Mind’ at Roundhead Studios with producer Simon Goulding. The band received mentoring from Six60’s Chris Mac. With “Ease My Mind’ being aired on all radio stations in New Zealand and Australia, “to be classified now as an up and coming artist is pretty cool,” Harry describes. 

The band first started from a couple of jams, where they entered Rockquest in 2018 but “didn’t get anywhere”. Fast-forward a year, and here they are having entered the big-time. With influences from rock, blues, jazz, and indie, Harry admits “we’re all just riding the wave a bit”. Off the tail of two festivals, and having been playing gigs around Hawkes Bay, their focus is now on recording their sound. “We’re recording two new tracks,” Harry says. “I can’t tell you the names”. For one of their new songs, they have collaborated with the keyboarder from Wellington band Charlie Whack, as well as harmony contribution from “beautiful vocalist” Tayla Hartemink. 

When asked if they believe they would be where they are regardless of winning, all members agree they wanted to get far as artists. The goal is to play a big festival, they say, hoping for Rthymn & Vines or Soundsplash to be the next step forward. Overall, they’re keen to “target our demographic”. “At the moment our age group in Hawkes Bay are really liking what we’re coming up with”. 

Having played with bands such as Spacey Jane, Dolphin Friendly, Strangely Arousing, Serious Happiness and Soaked Oats, a tour over the ditch is another aim for the near future. “Australia would be cool,” says Harry. “America,” Joe adds. “America’s pretty far - we’d need more money for that,” Harry chuckles. 
With the four boys still in school, making the move down to Wellington after graduation is on the cards. “It’s really hard to say [whether we’ll seperate], but as for the moment we really want to continue - to see how far this goes and whether we can live off it”. 

For now, they’re taking the opportunity of isolation for writing music and taking vocal rest. For their music, “we’re not sure where it will take us, but we’re hoping to get our name out there and develop as musicians more,” Harry says. “To get the clout, as such”.