Emotional song wins at Bay heat

Isabelle Lorch shows no signs of her pre-show jitters as the Taradale High School student's performance won her the solo/duos title.

Isabelle Lorch may be the next young New Zealand singer to watch after taking out the solo/duos title at the Hawke's Bay regional Smokefreerockquest heats, held Saturday at Napier Boys' High School.

The 14-year-old Year 10 student from Taradale High School describes her music as emotional, and attributes her win to pushing herself vocally and instrumentally.

"It was nerve-wracking on stage to begin with, but when I picked up my guitar I felt at peace," she said. "I was extremely nervous. It was crazy. But I decided to just be me and do what I can."

Her winning original piece, Loving Me, is a love song with a difference.

"I wrote it because there are so many break-up songs out there, like Taylor Swift's, that are really dramatic and saying 'You let me down'," she says. "But I wanted to write a song that was kind of like, 'Hey, you didn't get me down'. It's saying 'I'm fine, I'm strong, I'm happy without you. I don't need negativity in my life'."

Isabelle says she was surprised to win in what was her first appearance at Smokefreerockquest (SFRQ).

"I wasn't expecting a placing, let alone first," she says. "I felt like I was going to cry. I'm still shaking."

Ruby Tuesday (Ruby McKnight), from Napier Girls' High School, placed second. These two solo-duos entrants will now put 15 minutes of their best material together in a video submission for selection as national finalists.

Five Napier bands are among the 12 advancing to the Hawke's Bay final, where they will compete for the top two places and other awards. Te Paki'z, from Tamatea High School, will be joined by Elephant Room and Rosco Rebellion (Napier Boys' High School), and Black Out and Unwritten (Napier Girls' High School).

The winners of Smokefree Pacifica Beats were self-described island jazz fusion band Horizon from Hastings Boys' High School.

Napier Boys' High School's Keegan Sprott and Ben Cornes lead Rosco Rebellion through the song that earned them a trip to the Hawke's Bay final.

SFRQ founder and director Glenn Common says the level of performance at the heats seems to keep going up every year as entrants get more support for contemporary music from their schools, make use of online resources and have role models who have used SFRQ as a springboard to success.

"Between now and the regional final their preparation work is part of the process that makes Smokefreerockquest and Pacifica Beats such valuable learning experiences for young people," he says.

"The 12 bands going on to the finals need to practise hard, craft their set, get their supporters rallied and make good use of networking opportunities and social media to promote themselves and their achievements."

Smokefreerockquest Hawke's Bay final, Saturday, June 10, 7pm, Napier Municipal Theatre. Tickets from Ticketek.