Northland high school band Co-lab is one of 30 bands nationally with a chance of making it through to the national final of the Smokefreerockquest next month after impressing the judges in the event.
Co-lab, made up of students from Whangarei Boys' High School and Kamo High School, won the Northland regional final last month.
Co-lab, along with second place getters Alien Weaponry, from Bream Bay College and Otamatea High School, and winning solo artist Emma Scott-Rankin, from Otamatea High School and runner-up Sepp Schmid from Kamo High School, then had to compete with regional winners and place getters from 23 areas for a spot in the national finals in September.
That number has now been whittled down to the top 30 - with Co-lab the only Northland act chosen - who still have a wait to see if they will be in the final six for the national final.
Co-lab is made up of Jimmy Kay, lead guitar; Austyn Mills, vocals, trumpet and keyboard; Jesse Samu, bass guitar; James Ross, drums; Josh Crawford, vocalist; and from KHS, Toban Taylor, rhythm guitar.