A trio of young Sunshine Coast musicians is hitting all the right notes in the world of alternative rock.
As part of Australia’s newest generation of stage shredders, Wave Raiders haven’t taken long to graduate from their first show at Caloundra RSL to stages across the country. Made up of brothers Pete and Tom and good friend Jayden, the boys range in age from 13 to 15. My Weekly Preview asked the band members all about their journey, riding the wave to musical success off the back of their recent single My Way.
How did Wave Raiders first come together and what inspired the band’s name? Tom: Dad got us our first gig at the Caloundra RSL when we were just 10 and 12 years old. A few weeks out, we recruited my best mate Jayden as our bass player, and that was the beginning of the Wave Raiders. The name ‘Wave Raiders’ comes from our love of surfing waves and sound waves and our desire to shock and excite our audiences.
Tell us about your new single My Way. What is the song is about? Jayden: My Way is about not following the pack and doing things our way. It’s a rebellious anthem about not letting anyone stop us from pursuing our dreams.
Who are your biggest musical influences and how do they show up in your style? Pete: Our biggest influences are Silverchair, The Screaming Jets, The Chats, Green Day and Tool. You will hear this in our gritty, punky and old-school rock sound, with a touch of psychedelia.
Can you walk us through how you write and develop a new track. Is it collaborative or does one of you take the lead? Jayden: Pete or I bring a guitar riff to a band practice, and we develop it as a band from there. We add lyrics, bass and drums – but often in different orders. We road test our songs live and adjust them along the way, before we record them. It’s a real collaborative approach.
What’s been your most memorable gig so far and what can audiences expect from a Wave Raiders’ live set? Pete: Our most memorable moment so far was when we got up with Spiderbait on the main stage on the last night of the last Caloundra Music Festival and played Calypso with them, shocking 10,000 fans. We were only 10 to 12 years at the time, and it helped us and the music industry realise what we were capable of. At our live shows, you can expect a high-powered set with a lot of movement and shenanigans. Think guitars being played on the backs of heads, rolling around on the ground and jumping off drum kits. We love our audience to have as much fun as we do on stage, and to walk away thinking of it as a memorable experience. No two sets are the same. We’re always mixing it up.
What’s next for the band and are you working on new music or planning any gigs? Tom: We have another single coming out later this year which will show a different side to us, and an EP planned for next year that we think will showcase how we have really matured as musicians. We have so many cool gigs coming up, too, that you can check out on our socials and web page.
