Media Release

Southland Smokefreerockquest 2012 results

A group of close mates from Riverton’s Apirama College won the Southland Smokefreerockquest regional final at the Invercargill Civic Theatre on Friday night.

Lazarus Rising came third last year, and guitarist and singer Aran Young says they were more confident this year and had improved their songwriting substantially, with help from a visiting music teacher. The band also won the Lowdown Best Song award for ‘Break the Chain’ a song about being yourself.

“We’re really passionate about what we do – we showed a lot of emotion on stage and really put it out there,” Aran says. Drummer Daniel Watson adds that the band hangs out together a lot and their close friendship helps to keep their stage performance tight.

Aran and Daniel are the band’s only two original members, and have been with Lazarus Rising for three years. Newcomers are vocalist Devon Winders and Harley Harris on bass. Devon is in year 12 while the boys are all in year 13. They are busy young people with the boys all playing for the Riverton Rugby Club and Devon captaining the Southland under-17 netball team.

Second place went to Human Dust from Verdun College, made up of Daniel Ferguson, Steven Edwards, Sam Penny and Connor Singh.

These top two bands win musical gear from NZ Rockshops and go on to compete for one of eight spots in this year’s Smokefreerockquest national final at Claudelands in Hamilton on 22 September.

Rockquest Promotions Founders and Directors Glenn Common and Pete Rainey said from here on the Southland finalists would have to work hard and draw on their creativity to make the most of the opportunity Smokefreerockquest offered.

“In August judges will be selecting the eight finalists from DVDs of their own original music,” Common said. “There are a range of skills they’ll need to pull this together – creativity and musical ability are important, but they also learn to work together as a group and have to be well organised to produce the video footage that could be their next step towards Kiwi music success.”

The eight national finalists will be selected from a pool made up of first and second place-getters from each of the 24 regional finals, and bands from Rockshop Second Chance, an opportunity for established bands who feel they didn’t play at their best on the night.

At stake is a prize package that includes a NZ On Air new recording and music video grant worth over $10,000, a place on the NZ On Air Kiwi Hit Disc, musical gear to the value of $10,000 from NZ Rockshops, radio promotional support for a single, and video play on youth music channel FOUR. There is also the MAINZ Scholarship for outstanding musicianship, the APRA Lyric Award, the Lowdown Best Song Award, the Smokefree Women’s Musicianship Award and the Skinny People’s Choice, voted by text, with the opportunity to open at the SFRQ National final.

Other regional awards made on Friday night:

Third place winning musical gear from NZ Rockshops and their suppliers, and the Skinny People’s Choice voted by text: Scrambl3d from James Hargest College (yes it’s a 3 instead of an e)

APRA Lyric Award: We Say from Southland Girls’ High for their song ‘Love or War’

The Mainz Musicianship Award with the opportunity to be selected for the $4500 Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand Scholarship, announced at the national final:
Ricky Andrews, the bass player from Formed On Wednesday from James Hargest College

Smokefree Award For Women’s Musicianship: Michelle Beck from Central Southland College

To find out more about Smokefreerockquest 2012, visit the official website sfrq.co.nz.

ENDS

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