From Rising Stars of Matariki | Aroha Awarau
Their mums need to supervise when they're playing in pubs, but Taupō teenagers Lucian McDermott and Khani Te Mete are
already making their mark in music.
The 17-year-old best mates, whose iwi are Ngāi Te Rangi, met at intermediate and played together in various bands. At
just 12 years old, the pair won the Killer Guitarists Award at the Smokefree Rock Quest.
They formed the band Sonorous four years ago, recently adding their mate, drummer Cooper Paalvast, to the lineup. McDermott is the lead vocalist and
guitarist, while Te Mete plays the bass.
They are already getting gigs that would make adult bands envious - even if they need their mums as adult supervision
when playing in bars and pubs.
"It's a dream man. I've wanted to do this since I was a little kid. I want to do this for the rest of my life. We've put
in the hard yards, and it's now paying off," McDermott says.
The band was the opening act at this year's Taupō Summer Festival and has just completed an eight-gig tour in Australia.
This opportunity occurred after they were scouted at the NZ Blues and BBQ Festival in Rotorua earlier this year.It's not about the money, it's not about the fame. It's about the music.
"There was an Australian band there, and the bass player came up to my dad at the end of our set, and asked if we had a
manager because he wanted to hook us up with some gigs in Australia," McDermott says.
Te Mete says it was the best decision for him and McDermott to leave school this year, so they could focus on their
passion.
"If I didn't have music and the band, I would just be mucking around and hanging out with my mates. It's helped me stay
focused," he says.
Photo: bloodlinedigitalmedia
McDermott, a big blues fan, says he pushed the band towards the genre. It's turned out to be a unique selling point -
many of their gigs are at festivals and at pubs with an adult audience.
"Kids our age don't seem to really get into the blues but even our mates like what we play," McDermott says.
"For me, the love for the blues started when I was eight. I was lying on the couch one day and my dad scrolled past this
video of a guy named Stevie Ray Vaughan. I was like, wow, who is this? He's my favorite guitarist,"
"I started doing classical singing at first and then moved onto guitar lessons and it started from there."
With McDermott playing the guitar, Te Mete decided to learn the bass, so they could musically complement each other.
"I took that responsibility and I've been playing the bass for two and a half years. I love it."
The pair are prepared to make many sacrifices to progress their promising future, McDermott says.
"Staying focused is the biggest thing. Some days you get up and you don't want to play your instruments at all, and
you've got to give yourself that extra little push. We have a motto that we live by. It's not about the money, it's not
about the fame. It's about the music."