Play It Strange album - some of NZ’s best young songwriters

Play It Strange Release album to acknowledge some of New Zealand’s best young songwriters

Play It Strange are delighted to announce the release of the 2014 Play It Strange Lion Foundation CD, Vol 11. Over the past year, secondary school students from 13 to 18 years of age from New Zealand and Samoa have written 44 songs to make up this the album.

The album includes the Top 39 songwriters from the annual Lion Foundation Songwriting Competition and winners from the Wero Songwriting Competition, the Peace Song Awards, Play It Strange Samoa and The Calling song competition.

All songs have been recorded in professional recording studios throughout the country and then mastered by Chris Chetland at Roundhead Studios for a run of 3,000 CDs.

“We think this year’s album shows an emerging sophistication in performance and arrangement and an evocative recording excellence - each song tells a different story”, said Mike Chunn, CEO of the Play It Strange Trust.

The arrival of the album coincided with the Play It Strange annual awards at Backbeat Bar in Karangahape Road where the following awards were handed out at an intimate gathering. The evening also involved performances from Emma Cooper-Williams, James Donaldson and Band, Micheala Clark, Mereana and Mangere Teka and the 13 year old winner Talia Dalton.

The Peace Song Competition
Auckland Region Award: Emma Cooper-Williams, Rangitoto College with ‘Put Our Swords Down’
National Award (excl Auckland):Jessica Adams, Mackenzie College with ‘Under The Same Sky’

The Wero Songwriting Competition
Primary and Secondary School Division - Grace Wijohn and Doreen Auga from Rongomai School with their song ‘Never Turn Back’.
Secondary School Division - James Donaldson from Mt Albert Grammar School with his song ‘Try’

The EMC and Rockshop Album of the Year Award
Company S.E.T. 2014 from Havelock North High School for their album: 'Sleeping Giant’.

The Who Loves Who Competition
Michaela Clark from Manurewa High School with her version of Shihad’s ‘Pacifier’

The Lion Foundation Songwriting Competition
First Place Award to Talia Dalton, from Otumoetai College with her song 'Ice Cube In A Coffee'
Junior Maioha Award – best song in Te Reo Māori, Mereana Teka from Opotiki College for the song ‘Tirairaka’.
David Richwhite Lyric Award – Mereana Teka from Opotiki College for the song ‘Tirairaka’
de Frere Lyric Award (Hawkes Bay Region) - Teia Drysdale, Napier Girl's High School, 'Armani's Song'
Cheese On Toast Award – best alternative song,‘Outside’ written by Paige Pomana, Halecia Gardiner-Pomare and Jasmin Dos Santos from Gisborne Girls’ High School
PwC School of the Year Award – to the school with the most songs in the Top 40, Gisborne Girls’ High School

“The great songs, performances and recordings of NZ secondary school students that surface in the Lion Foundation Songwriting Competition are truly extraordinary.”

“Melodically, lyrically - there is a force to be reckoned with in the imaginative pursuits of young NZers. Our Award Show at the Backbeat venue celebrated those who took top honours in our various songwriting programmes. Each year the standard gets better and better”, said Chunn, who masterfully MC’d the night.

Head to www.playitstrange.bandcamp.com to stream or download the 2014 album free of charge.

For all information on Play It Strange, go to www.playitstrange.org.nz

ENDS

© Scoop Media