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Following months of preparation, three of Ōrewa College’s bands hit the Smokefree Rockquest stage last month.
Each band was tasked with recording, writing and practising their own music for the competition, with a judging panel made up of industry professionals and industry figures. The event provided students with the opportunity to perform original works before a live audience as part of New Zealand Music Month.
Maple St, an alternative rock band, performed their single Woulda Coulda Shoulda featuring Emily Bennett on vocals, Jasmine Davidson and Isaac Maire on guitar, Rylan Clifford on drums and Riley Thomas on bass. The track is now available on Spotify.
Isaac, alongside his bandmates, said they enjoyed the opportunity to create something unique and bring it to the stage.
“We’re excited to get our music out there! It’s a great opportunity for us,” Isaac said.
Another group to take the stage was The Rhythm Section, a pop rock group featuring Eve Auld on vocals, Perola Oliveira Bond on bass, Seamus Avery and Mila Barrett on guitars, and Callum Dalling on drums.
The third group, a punk rock group called Trash Faeries, featured Kaiden Moodley and Petra Kavea on vocals, Amelia Mahoney on guitar, Teodora Vlatkovic on bass and Alex Ashmore on drums.
A lunchtime pop-up performance was held as a warm-up gig ahead of the competition.
The North Shore heat was the first stage of the Smokefree Rockquest pathway, with successful acts progressing to the Auckland heat, where a $10,000 prize and a possible national competition spot are up for grabs.
Although they didn’t progress to the finals, their performances marked the school’s strongest showing at the competition in nearly a decade.
