Band aims for Kiwis' hearts

The Eastern want to break your heart and move your feet.

Next month, the band will be performing at the Oamaru Opera House and bringing more story telling to their show.

The Eastern performed in Oamaru six months ago and band member Adam McGrath said they loved the town.

McGrath said when they regularly played in places such as Oamaru, they became engaged with their audience.

Last year was massive for the group, releasing an album and hitting the road to tour the country for about nine months.

The band are soon to be releasing a new album and songs will be tested on audiences throughout this tour.

McGrath said remaining busy and staying fresh in people's minds had been a huge benefit for the band.

"Anyone who said playing too much will make you over-exposed is lying," he said.

The band have been together for a bit more than six months and that has seen McGrath excel.

"It has brought me out of my shell," he said.

Each year, the band seems to be getting bigger and better and McGrath said the increased album sales were hard to ignore.

"It's a steady growth, but I think that's the best way," he said.

"It's a real honour."

McGrath said The Eastern were an old-fashioned band but infused with a lot of energy and heart.

"We are telling our own story. They aren't songs about America, they are about New Zealand because that's where we live and those are the stories we want to tell," he said.

The Eastern play at Oamaru Opera House on February 13. The show starts at 8pm and tickets are $20.