OUSA’s eighth annual band competition, Bring The Noise, presented by Radio One, is well underway with seven finalists selected from two heats that took place a couple weeks ago. The up-and-coming musos will go head-to-head on the 28th of August, 8pm, at U-Bar, where they will be competing for a prize pack consisting of a promo deal with Radio One, a Sublime Studio recording package, a seminar with music industry professionals, and much more. Basically a holy grail to help break into the NZ music scene, so there's sure to be some fierce competition.
But if you weren’t there for the heats, or were too drunk to really pay attention, we’ve got you. Critic Te Ārohi sat down with all seven winners to hear about who they are, what kind of music they make, and what their strategy for the finals will be.
DITA UR FRIEND
A born and raised Dunedinite, Dita’s artist name comes straight from her 5 year old self, which continued as a family nickname. Much like the city she calls home, her style is hard to pin down into a few words, but many describe it as ethereal and experimental. She released her debut EP, Home for the Love Sick, last year, featuring stand-outs including Misfortune and Saturday Night. Outside of her solo work, Dita performs alongside fellow finalist, Krit, in the collective SatShift, which has built its values around inclusivity and community. Her strategy for the finals is simple: get the crowd ready through some serious grafting and an outrageously colourful outfit.
Monkey Do
What does Monkey Do do? According to the band members: “scream and jump around.” Like many bands in the Dunedin scene, their sound sits somewhere between alt rock and Indie, depending on the song. Their biggest inspirations are the Dunedin bands and creatives around them, noting that they were stoked to see a wide range of music represented in this competition.
Their strategy for the finals? Play the songs they like. In the initial heat, they opted to play their shortest songs so that they could squeeze in a full set. Now that they’ve made it through, they just want to have fun and show what they’re made of. One motivation for entering this contest is to redeem themselves for their “kind of shit” performance last year. Redemption arc incoming? You’ll have to go and see for yourselves.
Toumuri Spicer
Tomuri Spicer has been performing since he was little, but says it didn't get serious until he had moved to Dunedin. Once he’d done that, he joined King and Queen’s Kapa Haka and was asked to collaborate on an album. These days he describes his genre as kid-friendly, with summertime NZ pop vibes. His main goal is to make people happy through his performances and maybe teach them something along the way. Great to see someone bringing the summertime vibes to U-Bar, despite being in the depths of winter. His final strategy is just as wholesome as him – give it all he’s got and have fun. Toumuri also praised how great it has been to still see music and performing arts being funded in Dunedin with “local artists supporting local artists.”
Krit
Another local in the mix, Krit started making music when he was 13 through collaborating with his mates. His sound lies in “every faucet of rap”, and he continues collaborating today in the collective SatShift with Dita. For him, he wants to show that collaboration is key, as it fuels musicians to keep improving. Krit and his band also want to spotlight Dunedin’s vast rap scene, noting that one of Bring The Noise’s biggest strengths is that it showcases how much talent and breadth there is in Dunedin music. His strategy for the finals is sweet, aiming to just be himself and hoping that what he puts on stage resonates with the audience and judges.
Freak Accident
In a Freak Accident, Karl from last year's winning band, Ammonita, has found himself back in the competition this year with a new(ish) band – Freak Accident. The band connected through their shared interest in psychedelic music, with their band's genre being mostly Hardcore Punk, with psychedelic elements in the mix too. Their goal for their songs is to “have more meat than bones” by packing every lyric with as much meaning as possible. They entered to have fun, although Karl also emphasised that the prize-pack is "definitely worth it.” More importantly, they praised what Bring the Noise is doing for the Dunedin music community, saying that “the effort they are putting in is definitely being reflected back.” Strategy-wise, they emphasised professionalism and passion. With Karl's insider knowledge, they reckon the judges are looking for talented musicians willing to put in the work – and Freak Accident’s got it covered.
Dararidh
An ex-member of the now disbanded band The Friendlys, Dararidh is now producing songs and performing live solo. He started out on bass guitar when he was eight, before expanding to guitar, then the keyboard, and now vocals – a true musical jack of all trades. His versatility extends to genre, too. While his usual style is indie pop, he’s not afraid to dabble, with his next release taking a turn towards grunge rock. He draws inspiration from his, and sometimes his friend’s, personal experiences, believing that when a song comes from the heart it can really speak to audiences. His thoughts on the competition were simple: “cool as hell”, highlighting how great it is that people still go out to see local bands perform. Like Monkey Do, he’s saved his best songs for last and is excited to show what he’s got at the finals.
Cleos
Last year's runner ups are back in the game, with more experience under their belts and their eyes on the prize. The bandmates met in the same paper last year before entering Bring the Noise for their third-ever gig. Their motivation remains the same, saying that “any opportunity is a good opportunity.” Their sound is mostly indie folk rock, with all five members bringing their own inspiration and sound into the mix to create an “amalgamation stew”. Their strategy for finals this year is to “write shit” and try to do something new. Outside the competition, they plan to start scaling up their musical endeavours. They mentioned that they’re playing at Forsyth Barr for the Dunedin Craft Beer & Food Festival, and have two more singles coming out soon. They’re certainly ones to watch in the Ōtepoti scene.
