Sewage, comprising three 15-year-old Logan Park High School pupils, even managed to push its "brother band" tff into second place at the regional finals in Dunedin on Saturday night, guitarist Sam Vennell said last night.
"In two months, we have completely changed our musical style, written some new songs, and now this. When you think about it, it's pretty good."
The band tff is made up of Logan Park pupils Rory McMurdo, Miki Treadwell and Lisandru Grigorut, and Harley Jones from Kings High School.
Despite winning the regional finals last year, tff was not disappointed to be beaten this time round, Sam said.
"As long as one of us beats everyone else, we don't mind."
Sam and Gabriel Griffin formed Sewage two years ago when both were in year 9.
They were joined by saxophonist, violinist and vocalist Rowena Kowhai Rushton-Green last year.
Sam describes their new sound as "noise-driven jumpy rock with a touch of jazz and classical".
Both Sewage and tff, along with Echoroom from Bayfield High School, which won the Smokefree People's Choice award on Saturday, now have to put together music DVDs to be considered by the judges of the nationwide youth music competition.
Six bands will be selected to compete in the national finals in Auckland in September.
Other Otago awards winners were:Third place: Soma Holiday (Taieri College); Lowdown Best Song Award: Insane During Six (Taieri College); APRA Lyric Writer's Award: Josiah Samuel, Jam and the Slydogs (Otago Boys High School) for Harmony; Mainz Musicianship Award: Regan McManus, Queen Anne's Revenge (Logan Park High School); Smokefree award for women's musicianship: Nadia Reid, Beyond the Sun (Queens High School).
