THE BAND
“The Rocky Bay Midnights have already become something of a must-see band for their live shows around Waiheke” - James Belfield, Music Critic of Stuff.co.nz, The Listener and the Waiheke Gulf News.
MEREDITH WILKIE
// vocals // percussion
Meredith hails from the mean-streets of Los Angeles and Hawaii (Kauai) and has been songwriting since she was an 8-year-old with a tape-recorder tied to her bike basket, performing in bands since the age of 14. Meredith toured with numerous US bands before moving to Aotearoa 17 years ago. She worked has with bands throughout Aotearoa including Troubadour, The Reputations, Venus and the Flytraps, and various bands in the Auckland blues / soul circuits. You might have seen her perform at: The Kings Arms, Galatos, Chapel Bar, The Dogs Bollix, the National Jazz Festival in Tauranga, The Portland Public House, Sky City, The Waiheke Jazz festival, or many other NZ institutions & events. Co-creator of The RBMs, she loves to belt out the close-to-her-heart originals and her favourite moments are when the audience dances, laughs, cries, dances, or just visibly “gets into” the music. All of which seem to happen at The RBM’s shows!
KYLA DYRESEN
// keys
Kyla has been playing piano for 35 years. Piano and songwriting have been a part of her life since she could put fingers to keys - but not without struggles - Kyla was teased mercilessly as a child and teen for her piano playing and strongly discouraged by her parents to follow her musical dreams so is proud to have followed her heart and have a life full of music. She is a classically trained pianist, starting out by playing piano recitals and in musicals and orchestras, but fell in love with blues, rock and psychedelia and hasn’t looked back since!
At heart, Kyla is first and foremost a songwriter. She spent six years writing / recording / touring with Royal Falcon, and also contributed to other projects for artists such as PhD NZ hip hop, The Rum Coves, Sepia Tones and has also written for film soundtracks, most notably the NZ feature film JAKE. Kyla is in her happy place as part of the RBMs, a band that she feels is the fruition of her life as a musician and songwriter.
JULION WRIGHT
// guitar // sax
Julion has been jamming the guitar since he was 10 years old. Growing up on Waiheke he was exposed to a wide array of musical influences from rock to soul to ska and played in many local bands during his school years.
Moving to Dunedin after high school and then to Canada after that, he developed a love for instrumental music and set up camp as a solo artist on Vancouver Island. There he picked up the tenor and soprano saxophones as his interest in jazz grew. Returning to Waiheke in March, he joined the Rocky Bay Midnights where he gets to add his own unique mix of influences to the bands original sound.
DIONE DENIZE
// bass
Starting off her musical journey on the drums, Dione only recently moved to playing the bass guitar when the opportunity came up to jump on board The RBM's train. Playing bass was a desire she had held onto for years, that was was fulfilled when the RBMs approached her. Her style is uncluttered, simple in nature and driven by a solid backbone of her timing and rhythm which came from her years of drumming.
As a teenager growing up on an organic farm in Mangawhai, a 3-day Womens music festival on her home turf birthed her passion for live music and the energy exchange of performance. The women musicians who surrounded her during this influential time, and helped to pave her way.
Over the years Dione has been in a range of bands, mixing up drumming, singing and performance: Clench, Gina Broken Heart and The Homewreckers, Cocoa Electro, The Soul Agent, Good News for Modern Man, The Solomon Cole Band, The Benevolent Evelyns and The Waiheke International Soul Orchestra.
Dione is loving the opportunity to step up to the Bass and play alongside this lovely bunch of talented musical beings.
SIMON McDOWELL
// drums
Simon McDowell is an internationally experienced professional drummer, studio musician, and instructor who lived in Tokyo, Japan for 11 years and now currently resides in Auckland, New Zealand. Half-Japanese and half New Zealander, Simon began to play the drums from age 16.
Before Simon moved to Tokyo, Japan in 2009 He was drumming in many different bands and doing a lot of session work in New Zealand and Australia weather if that was recording, live or music video work. Simon also taught many private drum students in Auckland, New Zealand, where he grew up and lived for most of his life. While living in Auckland, New Zealand, Simon performed as a member of various music groups and worked as a private music instructor. Simon studied with a number of influential drummers, including New Zealand renowned drummers Paul Russel and Frank Gibson. Simon is skilled in various styles, such as Funk, Jazz, Reggae, Pop, Punk, R&B, and Gospel.
Simon has performed internationally in such countries as New Zealand, Australia, America and Japan. Some artists he has worked with are Terry Christian, Kat McDowell, Jeff Curry, Steve Edwards, Derek Short, Carly Rae Jepsen, Kaleb James, Taylor Swift, J-Pop sensation Koda Kumi and The Talented Ed Sheeran.