Music News - Broods urge young kiwi musos to enter Smokefreerockquest
28 April 2015 - 0 Comments
One of the world’s hottest emerging music acts is telling young Kiwis that entering Smokefreerockquest is a great way to enter the Kiwi music industry.
Georgia Nott from Broods says entering the event was the start of their music success. She and her brother Caleb were members of the Nelson indie rock band, The Peasants, national winners of Smokefreerockquest in 2011. The nationwide, original, youth music contest kicks off with a launch in Auckland on May 7, and Georgia is encouraging other young musos to enter.
She says the contest set Broods off on a career that includes the hit single and Silver Scroll winner Bridges, a contract with a major record company, a win at the New Zealand Music Awards and a hectic touring schedule, most recently with American band, Haim, and UK artists Ellie Goulding and Sam Smith.
“Smokefreerockquest was pretty much what made this happen for us - people are watching and listening for what comes out of the competition and we were lucky enough to meet Joel Little and our manager Ashley Page through it,” she says. “We seriously would not be in the amazing position we are in right now if rockquest didn't exist. It was and always will be one of the best things we ever did.”
Fittingly, this year’s event launch heralds New Zealand Music Month, with the first gig in Gisborne on May 2, ahead of the offical launch. Around 650 bands and solo-duos are expected to enter the event, meaning a total of around 3000 young people will compete over the next three months in 24 towns from Invercargill to Kerikeri.
Smokefreerockquest founder and director Glenn Common puts the enduring appeal of Smokefreerocquest down to the successful formula of young people performing their own songs to a live audience of their peers and supporters:
“Students just love getting on stage and playing music, but forming a group, writing their songs and getting them to performance standard doesn’t happen overnight,” Common said. “Smokefreerockquest demands skill and perseverance, which is why the event is so well regarded by schools, is used as an NZQA assessment tool and has gained a strong reputation as a reliable source of talent for the New Zealand music industry.”
This is the 25th year that Smokefree has held the naming rights for Smokefreerockquest. Health Promotion Agency Tobacco Control spokesperson Kath Blair says this longstanding partnership has been mutually beneficial.
“Smokefreerockquest plays a large part in helping students make protective connections to their schools, other students and communities as well as helping them to develop new skills and aspirations for their futures; and we’re very pleased to continue supporting this.”
Running alongside Smokefreerockquest is Smokefree Pacifica Beats, with seven events starting in Gisborne on June 6. Pacifica Beats provides a creative platform for youth to express themselves through music and performance that promotes Maori and Pacific language and culture, while mixing and blending it with contemporary kiwi flavours.
The regional events for both contests run until early July, then the top regional bands and solo/duos submit video footage for selection as one of the bands or solo/duos to play off at the Smokefreerockquest national final at the Raye Freedman Arts Centre in Auckland on Friday 11 September; followed by the Smokefree Pacifica Beats national final on Saturday 12th.
Smokefreerockquest, powered by
Rockshop, has national winners’ prize packages for bands and the solo/duo
winners that includes $22,000 in Rockshop vouchers, a $20,000 NZ On Air
recording, video and promo package’ a ‘Decent Exposure’ campaign on FOUR, a
photo shoot with Thievery Studio, a branding package from Imaginary Friends and
the Unleashed Travel ambassador award – a seven day trip to Fiji.
There is also the MAINZ (Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand) Scholarship for Outstanding Musicianship, the APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association) Lyric Award, the Lowdown Best Song Award, the Smokefree Women’s Musicianship Award and the People’s Choice voted by text with the opportunity to open the Smokefreerockquest National final.
More information at sfrq.co.nz or facebook.com/thesfrq
Thanks to www.sfrq.co.nz for this story.
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