Two months ago triple j put the call out to Australia’s best high school acts to enter Unearthed High.
With alumni like Gretta Ray, Japanese Wallpaper, Asta, Mosquito Coast, Montaigne, Baro and Hockey Dad all going on to do massive things since first appearing in the competition, the ‘Class of 2017’ had a lot to live up to.
And they delivered. Over 1,000 high school aged bands, solo acts, producers and MCs from all over the country uploaded their music to triplejunearthed.com in the 10th year of the competition. With the calibre of entries, it was tricky to narrow it down to just five finalists.
Here are Australia’s best high school music acts in 2017.
Arno Faraji – ‘Destiny’s’ (Shenton College, Perth WA)
Arno Faraji is one of the most exciting young hip hop artists in the country, with his keen, future-leaning productions only matched by his whip smart raps and oozing charisma.
Ninajirachi – ‘Pure Luck {Ft. Freya Staer}’ (Gosford High School, Gosford NSW)
Backing up her 2016 Unearthed High finalist appearance, Nina returns with another high-quality production earning wide spread praise and a spot on the 2017 Listen Out lineup. And all that on the cusp of turning 18!
Stevie Jean – ‘Hell In Every Religion’ (Darwin High School, Darwin NT)
Stevie Jean’s voice is unstoppable. The 17-year-old marries that immense voice with songwriting that is ignited with raw emotional power. It’ll have you in a sweat by the time its four minutes are up, demanding you to experience it again.
SŸDE – ‘Orbit {Ft. Ashe}’ (Caulfield Grammar, Melbourne VIC)
Juggling school and a burgeoning music career, this Melbourne duo’s super clean, chilled-house track ‘Orbit {Ft. Ashe}’ has struck a chord globally, amassing more than 8 million plays on streaming services and lighting a path to big things ahead.
Taj Ralph – ‘Beat The Keeper’ (Mosman High School, Sydney NSW)
Already receiving nods from industry heavyweights like Horrorshow and Amy Shark, this 16 year old solo artist’s music is rich in sound and ideas but you can still hear his roots as a busker shine through.
triple j Unearthed Music Director Dave Ruby Howe says “It’s exhilarating to discover the amazing creations coming out of bedrooms and garages around Australia and this year’s crop of artists has been as bountiful as ever. Picking just five finalists is super difficult but we couldn’t be more excited to introduce you to the most outstanding acts from 2017’s Unearthed High, who’ll be leading the next generation of Australian music.”
Tune in to triple j over the next week as Ben & Liam surprise the 2017 Unearthed High winner at their school.
The winner will also be flown to triple j to record, mix or master their music, which will be played on triple j and triple j Unearthed.
In the meantime, head on over to triplejunearthed.com to download and stream all the 2017 Unearthed High entries.