And the finalists are…

For the eighth year running, triple j set out to find the very best high school music acts in Australia, and this year a new record has been set, with 1280 tracks by 850 acts uploaded to triplejunearthed.com as part of Unearthed High.

The initiative was set up to encourage young Aussies to start writing and recording their own music and we are consistently impressed with the level of talent coming out of high schools, with past winners like Japanese Wallpaper, Asta and Stonefield going on to release music and tour it around the country.

Introducing the five best high school acts in 2015…

Fifth Dawn ‘Turbulence’ (Nepean Creative and Performing Arts High School, Western Sydney NSW)
Though they’ve only been together as Fifth Dawn since November 2014, this five piece out of Western Sydney impresses with their stunning alternative metal sound that melds gargantuan guitars with singer Samantha Faul’s killer voice.

Genesis Owusu ‘The Day After Valentine’s’ (St Mary MacKillop College, Canberra ACT)
17 year old Canberra rapper Genesis Owusu performs his rhymes with a perspective beyond his years and through a rubbery delivery that makes everything he does just sound effortless.

Lupa J ‘Armour’ (Conservatorium High School, Sydney NSW)
A finalist in Unearthed High 2014, Imogen Jones (aka Lupa J) has truly earned further honours in the 2015 competition with the violin virtuoso turned producer growing in confidence as a songwriter in the last year.

Mosquito Coast ‘Call My Name’ (Presbyterian Ladies’ College & Churchlands High School, Perth WA)
Since they were 14, Naomi Robinson and Conor Barton have been jamming out tunes in Naomi’s basement. Now 17 and in Year 12 the duo give us ‘Call My Name’ – breezy garage pop sounding like a sunny, coast-bound version of Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Spire ‘Just Don’t Understand’ (Denmark High School, Denmark WA)
Under the moniker Spire, 17 year old producer Max Baines creates colourful and free spirited electronic sounds with equal nods to the Soda Island production collective and his location on the West Australian coast.

Tune in to Breakfast with Matt & Alex on Thursday 20 August as they reveal the 2015 winner of triple j Unearthed High.

The winner will receive airplay on triple j and triple j Unearthed, have a song professionally recorded by triple j and professional advice from a top Australian act and their manager, with the choice of Illy, The Jezabels, Alison Wonderland, Northlane or Art vs Science.

Tags: |