Judges

I grew up immersing myself in as many instruments as I could- organ, piano, violin, guitar, electric guitar etc. It was a huge interest and I loved the element of self-expression in a medium that fed the soul. It was a huge passion that I decided to carve a career in the music space. I went from repairing keyboards, to doing instrument sales, media research, channel strategy, and it culminated in me scratching my own itch and creating a webpage which showed you what music was going on around you, and that was the genesis of Bandwagon. Today, 8 years on, I’m so glad we’re working with VANS, to create a meaningful platform for musicians with original music to get themselves heard and promoted on a bigger stage. 


VANS has a deep affinity with music. I thought it was great that a global brand would set aside the time and resources to look locally, use its brand to propel local talent, as well as its international presence to help artists grow in new markets. The VANS brand carries weight and that legitimacy because they’ve been investing and growing alongside bands and music creators for a really long time. So I really wanted to contribute in whatever ways I could in growing this legacy and helping to give our homegrown musicians the best possible platform through this initiative. 


I think this is our largest year yet in terms of entries. That’s extremely exciting and encouraging for someone who’s really vested in helping our local music scene progress. I look forward to a healthy and supportive voting period, where fans and friends of fans would actively get behind their favourite acts and VOTE! And for for the next round where we move into the live show, I’m really hoping to get blown away with music and showmanship that’s fresh, exciting, and gets the music community buzzing! 


This is always a tough one. Currently, SG Lewis, American Football, Joshua Simon.