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Stanmore Bay brother and sister Ben and Brody Glanfield, are playing gigs every weekend and getting the attention of international stars, and they haven’t even left school yet.
Ben, 13, and Brody, 16, are becoming familiar faces around the Coast since moving here last November. They are usually seen busking, but recently secured a permanent slot at Jac’s in Whangaparāoa.
“We performed in the Coast Got Talent show and Jac’s offered us a trial performance night,” Brody says. “Now we are there every Sunday, which is so cool.”
The acoustic duo play a range of covers, as well as original songs written by Brody.
“I like to write about things from other people’s perspectives, so I can share experiences beyond the ones that I’ve had,” Brody says.
“Ben always helps me out with my music and has started writing a few of his own songs too. He should though – they’re really good.”
The pair first tried performing at an open mic night when Ben was five and Brody seven. They have been playing live music ever since, together and individually.
“We are quite different when we perform individually,” Brody says.
“Ben is good at the faster songs and I tend to sing the slower ones, so together it is just a bit of everything.”
Ben says the highlight of his budding music career was when a video he posted online was seen by his idol, Ed Sheeran. The star gave Ben a double pass to one of his Mt Smart Stadium shows last year and invited Ben to meet him backstage.
“We had already bought tickets, so we got to see the show twice and meet Ed,” Ben says. “It was crazy.”
Brody, who will finish school at the end of next year, hasn’t decided what she will do then, but is looking into courses offered at the Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand.
As for Ben, he doesn’t mind what his future job is, as long as it’s in music.
“Even if I’m just the tea guy for a band, I would be happy with that.”
Ben and Brody placed second in the Auckland regional finals of the Smokefree Rockquest.
