Tauranga teen Fletcher Oxford has won the Bay of Plenty Smokefreerockquest. Photo / File
Tauranga teen Fletcher Oxford has won the Bay of Plenty Smokefreerockquest. Photo / File
A Tauranga 16-year-old won the Bay of Plenty Smokefreerockquest with a song about a girl on a bus.
Tauranga Boys' College student Fletcher Oxford took out the top spot in the solo-duo category on Saturday night.
"I've been playing music since I was about three and wrote my first songwhen I was seven - my family is quite curious as to where my musical talent came from," Fletcher said.
Fletcher described his music as "honest" and dictated by melody and lyrics.
"It's all about lyrics for me, when people can relate to the lyrics it makes the song more memorable."
The three finalists would put 15 minutes of their best material together in a video to submit for selection as national finalists.
The 12 top bands would play off for the top two places and other awards at the Bay of Plenty final at Totara Street Performing Arts Centre on Friday June 30 at 7pm. Tickets for the regional final are available from NZTix.co.nz, $20 adults and $10 students.
The 12 bands selected to go on to the final are:
3 Quarters Late - Bethlehem College Jovi - Bethlehem College The Good Stuff - Bethlehem College Bare Knuckled - Katikati and Rutherford Colleges B.I.A (Brothers In Arms) - Rotorua Boys' High School The Harmonics - Western Heights High School Twitch - Western Heights High School French Doors - Otumoetai College In The Resource Room - Taupo-nui-a-Tia College Made Alive - Whakatane & Trident High Schools Anastasia - Western Heights High School Te Urewera - TKKM o Huiarau
