The band was formed in 2001 as a three-piece, after a session at the Raglan Musicians Club, and quickly developed a local following.
Many of their early shows were filmed and recorded by fans, prompting the band to record their first EP One Fine Day, then tour provincial New Zealand, where the cafés were crammed and live shows intense.
In 2004 they released the Forward Movement EP, which was nominated for best roots release the following year.
In 2007 the band released its second album Free Yourself, which quickly found its way into the top 10 independent releases, and was in the top 10 indie album sales for that year.
Cornerstone Roots have supported such heavyweight reggae acts as Burning Spear, Toots and the Maytals, Sly 'n Robbie with Michael Rose, Jimmy Cliff, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Mad Professor, and recently supported The Original Wailers (of Bob Marley and The Wailers fame).
A band spokesman says early rushes of the band's soon-to-be-released album are sounding great.
Cornerstone Roots returns to Dunedin on March 25 after slowly working their way down south.
• See them
Cornerstone Roots play at Sammys on Thursday, March 25 with support from Native Sons.
Napier's Edwin Derricutt comes from a musical family, with his mother being a Salvation Army musician who once formed a harmonica band in the UK.
Derricutt is part musician and part qualified architect, but it is for his music that he is in Dunedin today.
He's touring his second full-length album, Three Hours South, and plays Circadian Rhythm.
• See him
Edwin Derricutt plays Circadian Rhythm today. The gig is free.
Folk-rockers the Troubadours of Mercury have reformed after 10 years to play tonight and Thursday as part of the Fringe Festival, from 8.30pm at the Cellars Bar, Provincial Hotel.
They are playing original material focusing on the themes of love, madness and interplanetary travel, among other things.
