The Band

JaredJared Barrington

As well as the Mutes, I play in AK Samba a Brazilian band here in Auckland.  We do lots of street gigs and I play the Go-Go bell and dance in AK. I’m Jared Barrington and I am one of the drummers in the Mutes.  I love doing lots of gigs, having fun and getting up on stage and dancing to the music we make. I like travelling around and playing gigs and one of my favourite times was playing with the Australian band Rudely Interrupted.  I really enjoyed rehearsing and recording our new CD Martion Fuhtre and was really excited to see the CD and the T-shirts arrive.  I like David Bowie, Simple Minds and the Creed and I just hope we keep on playing more and more gigs.

MirandaMiranda Mills

Hi I’m Miranda Mills from the dark Waitakere Hills and I write some of the Mutes songs, sing them as lead vocalist and play keyboards in the Mutes.  I see the band as a wonderful challenge to develop my writing and musical skills.  For me it is a chance to be seen in the media- I’ve even had an Australian popular magazine write an article about me – I get a bit of fame and we are acknowledged and appreciated for our music.  I love performing and being seen on stage and playing in a band is something great to do as I love pop music.  On stage I love our sound and I get to lead the band out front and ensure the audience enjoys themselves. My musical influence is David Bowie.   I think the best time I have had with the Mutes was playing the Whangamata Beach Hop and having a film crew follow us around for a TV One documentary.  When I am not rehearsing I love to draw and paint. In the future – well I just want us to go on playing gigs and maybe one day go to Australia and play with our friends, the Aussie rock group Rudely Interrupted.

GabeGabe Ashby

I love  drumming in the band and playing rock songs. I’m Gabe and I enjoy touring round and playing our songs and music at gigs.  What is best is giving everyone a good time when we put shows on for them.  The best gig was the Whangamata Beach Hop followed by playing on stage at Zeal in our home town and travelling round the North Island playing shows.  Everyone in the band has a really good time and it is really good having friends in the band – it’s like a being in a family.  When I am not playing the drums I enjoy going fishing, listening to heavy rock and being a barista. My musical influences are; Bon Jovi, Linkin Park, Green Day, Metallica and Guns ‘n Roses.  In the future I would like to see us organise our own Mutes music festival and go overseas, say, to Melbourne to visit and play with Rudely Interrupted.

NathanNathan Child

Hi, I’m Nathan and I play bass in the Mutes (from mars).  I was born to play on stage giving a crowd a rockin’ good time.  We’ve got the sound, we’ve got the songs and we are freakishly unique. I really love being in a rock band and being a star.  I especially like when I am out at random places and people coming up to me and talking about the band because they have seen me on stage. I love being able to tour and play really cool songs on stage.  Top of my list of  the best things we have done must be playing the Whangamata Beach hop – that was definitely heaven.  Then there has been the recording of Martion Fuhtre and having the CD in its cover in my hands.  I loved playing with Rudely Interrupted (from Australia) – there you had the two most unique rock bands in the whole world there together on one stage.  When I am not playing in the Mutes I love going to car shows, riding my motor scooter, snowboarding and working at West Auckland Classic Engine Reconditioners. My musical influences come from rock and beer drinking songs with bands like Guns ‘n Roses, Def Leppard and ACDC.  I’ll still be on stage when I am in my 70’s rockin' out hard.  I’d like us to play Christmas in the Park and tour the world playing rock concerts and getting as big as the Rolling Stones.

JonathanJonathan Gill

I like playing David Bowie’s music. Hi I’m Jono and I do the percussion on the congas in the band and play the harmonicas.  I really enjoy performing – that’s me dancing out front of the band on the inside cover of our new CD. I especially love playing in the pub and when I am not on stage or rehearsing, I am an actor with the Interact Trust.  I have an interest in Christian music and of course attend church -  as well as enjoying all the new movies and collecting the soundtracks from these. Whenever there is an occasion I can give a mean speech and top it off with an awesome haka.

LisaLisa Hannam

One of the things I enjoy about being in the Mutes is learning how to set up all our sound and tec equipment.  I play lead guitar in the band as well as sing and do some keyboard work.  What I love about being in the Mutes is having friends to share music with and to be able to use my talent as a guitarist on stage.  I think the best tour we did was promoting and being guest artists on the Idea’s Got Great Talent competition around the upper North Island.  It really got us out there and people got to know us.  My influences are in reggae and I like UB40 as well as Elton John and Eric Clapton.  The future – I ‘d really like us to own our own recording studio and have lots of money to buy lots of new equipment in six or seven years time

SamSam Benge

Hi, I am Sam and I am the musical director and mentor for the band.  I work for A Supported Life to develop the talents of the individual musicians in the Mutes and to play rythmn guitar in the band.  I have also recorded and engineered the Mutes two CD releases.