Warren Maxwell

Warren Maxwell has made a significant contribution to music both in New Zealand and internationally as a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and a driving force behind many musical projects.

Born in Auckland of Tuhoe, Kahungunu, Ngai Te Rangi, and Scottish ancestry Warren started playing guitar aged 6 years, and started joining and forming bands from intermediate school. After studying Jazz at the School of Music at Massey University, he formed a dub reggae trio ‘Trinity Roots’ with some of his co-alumni, and joined soul/funk band ‘Fat Freddy’s Drop’: two of New Zealand’s best loved bands.

Warren continues to perform with Trinity Roots on lead vocals and guitar (following a hiatus from 2005- 2011), and he is the leader of psychedelic blues quartet Little Bushman. Both bands tour extensively nationally and internationally to great acclaim.

In his illustrious music career he: has a number of Platinum albums to his name; was winner of the Best Musician at the bNet Music Awards; nominated for a Silver Scroll Award; been involved with theatre sound design and scoring for numerous short films and for various other musical projects; with ‘Little Bushmen’ he has collaborated with both the APO and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in concert; and he was one of five inaugural recipients of an Arts Foundation New Generation Award in 2006.

In 2015 Trinity Roots won the ‘Best Roots Album’, at the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards; and most recently he composed the score for the ANZAC Documentary ‘Beyond the Battalion’ for the 2017 commemorations.

Warren is a senior lecturer in the new Bachelor of Commercial Music degree offered at Massey University.