Rodney College band rock on after regional Rockquest win

25 July, 2022

BY JULIA WADE

A teenage college rock group have hit a high note in a major competition, scoring a first-time win for their school and a chance to step onto the national stage in the finals.

Rodney College rock-grunge band Inaudible – aka Year 13 students Jett Mckelvie (16), Jake Stokes (16) and Mitchell Jones (17) – have been crowned winners of the Northland Tai Tokerau Regional Smokefreerockquest 2022, which has become a national institution for supporting upcoming kiwi music and encouraging young musicians.

Held on June 19, the Northland regional heat saw the musical trio rock out their original number ‘More to Give‘, and with their submitted video ‘Away Out’ attained first shared place along with bands No Vacancy from Kerikeri High School and How Profound from Christian Renewal School.

The win means the groups are now in the running for the national semi-finalist part of the competition.

Inaudible, who have played together for two years, entered Rockquest last year without a result so naturally the guys were excited by their win, singer and lead guitarist Mitchell Jones says.

“The results were downloaded online so we found out about it on our phones. We haven’t placed anywhere before so it feels really good.”

Competing bands first perform in front of a live audience in heats around the country, with the top 12 from each region selected to record a video. Judges then make a decision on the winners from both the live perfomance and video submission. The Rodney College trio now have to wait for August 5 to see if they have a placing in the national semifinals.

Although named ‘Inaudible’, the band’s sound is anything but quiet, with influences such as Nirvana and similar genres threaded through their original songs which are created organically by the three good friends.

“We mostly write our own parts like chords and words and at band practise put it all together,” Mitchell says. “I write the lyrics but usually find it hard to do, I

often just start singing about random stuff, whatever comes to mind as we’re playing and make it into something.”

Mitchell’s mum, Sarah is ‘on cloud nine’ with her son’s acheivement, who first picked up a guitar at age seven, especially since he has entered the Quest multiple times with different bands over the past five years.

“It’s massive, every year I think ‘what a great song’ and then they get nothing, there’s a really high standard of talent out there,” she says. “Mitchell has always been into rock, particularly Nirvana, and I’m really proud that the band stayed true to themselves, playing the music they liked.”

Sarah’s advice for parents whose children want to enter the Rockquest is to just let the kids do what they want, ‘they know their target audience as they’re teenagers’.

Inaudible would like to thank everyone who has supported them with their music, especially their parents and Jake’s father who helped with production of the video, and accredited music teacher Martin Worthington – who has been involved with all of the Rodney College bands – for his guidance and inspiration.

Owner of Wellsford’s private music tuition business A+ Music, Martin says over the past 13 years since he has been involved there have been a lot of great successes although no placings.

“And now Inaudible have won their region, which is great for them. I’ve taught Mitchell and Jeff for over ten years and this was Mitchell's fifth rockquest and his third band, and finally they’ve hit the top! Rock on to the semi-finals now guys.”

Nothing like their name suggests, Rodney College rock-grunge band Inaudible play loud and proud, their style earning them a win at the recent Northland Smokefree Rockquest. Pictured rockin’ from left, Mitchell Jones (lead guitar/vocals), Jett Mckelvie (drums) and Jake Stokes (bass guitar). PHOTO/SUPPLIED

“We mostly write our own parts like chords and words and at band practice put it all together.”

- Mitchell Jones