Plenty o’ well-loved Aussie artists got their first taste of the sweet, sweet music industry pie by putting their tracks up and getting discovered via Triple J’s Unearthed.
And plenty o’ high schoolers make their way by entering into Unearthed High, so they may shame the rest of the country with their wise lyrics beyond their years and nuanced takes on modern music at a very, very young age.
There was more than 1000 entries this year, and Triple J described whittling the entrants down to a final five as “arduous”.
But here they are, the kids putting the rest of us to shame AKA the finalists of Unearthed High for 2016:
Carl Renshaw, for his track ‘End’. (Elizabeth College, Hobart, TAS)
Seemingly possessed by the spirit of Kevin Parker, 16 year old Carl Renshaw handcrafts warped masterpieces from his bedroom, foreshadowing the rise of Australia’s next psych-rock genius.
LISTEN TO CARL RENSHAW HERE: triplejunearthed.com/artist/carl-renshaw
Gretta Ray, for her track ‘Drive’. (Princess Hill Secondary College, Melbourne, VIC)
17 year old Gretta Ray delivers a one-two punch on the listener’s ears with a voice that’s like thick dripping honey, with remarkable lyrical maturity and intelligent turns of phrase.
LISTEN TO GRETTA RAY HERE: triplejunearthed.com/artist/gretta-ray
Lastlings, for their track ‘YOU’. (Marymount College, Gold Coast, QLD)
Comprised of 16 year old singer Amy Dowdle and older brother Joshua, Lastlings have been impressing everyone with their soaring electronic hook-fests, including a support slot on Glass Animals’ 2016 Australian tour.
LISTEN TO LASTLINGS HERE: triplejunearthed.com/artist/lastlings
Ninajirachi, for her track ‘Glass {Ft. Sequel}’ (Gosford High School, Gosford, NSW)
The production guise of 16 year old Nina Wilson from the NSW Central Coast, Ninajirachi’s music whirs to life with waves of futuristic bass and the kind of sharp twists and turns that speak to Nina’s incredible potential.
LISTEN TO NINAJIRACHI HERE: triplejunearthed.com/artist/ninajirachi
Tia Gostelow, for her track ‘State Of Art’. (St. Patrick’s College, Mackay, QLD)
Since popping onto our radar 18 months ago as part of folk duo Tia & Jack, Tia Gostelow’s assured 2016 debut solo offering showcases the 17 year old’s arresting voice and serious songwriting chops.
LISTEN TO TIA GOSTELOW HERE: triplejunearthed.com/artist/tia-gostelow
In addition to nabbing a finalist spot in Unearthed High, Tia Gostelow also won the competitions Indigenous Initiative, which includes mentoring from the Association of Artist Managers (AAM), as well as a songwriting workshop at her school with the APRA AMCOS Songmakers program.
The Indigenous initiative was added this year, with Music Director Dave Ruby Howe saying,
“It’s been an incredibly positive experience launching an Indigenous component of our annual Unearthed High campaign in 2016. We’ve uncovered a whole heap of amazing talent ranging from language-driven hip hop from the Burdiya Mob, to stirring singer-songwriters like Rach Armstrong and Idgie.Ultimately, Tia Gostelow took out the top spot, with her single ‘State Of Art’, displaying Tia’s impressive songwriting skills and magnetising voice. She’s a young artist with a big future ahead.”
The winner of Unearthed High is gonna be announced on Matt & Alex next week, so keep an ear out.
Source/Photo: Triple J.
