Samsung Electronics Australia has this week announced the lineup of five budding recording artists for its UNDSCVRD competition, a TikTok docu-style reality series aimed to bring the spotlight to the rising music talent in the country.
The series, presented by Samsung Galaxy, brings together five musical talents from across the country who were hand-picked by ARIA award-winning Australian pop-rock icons, The Veronicas.
UNDSCVRD will document the journey of these five aspiring musicians, recruited via TikTok, as they collaborate with The Veronicas and renowned music producer, James Angus, to produce their own original single and accompanying music video. The four-week vertical video series will be broadcast exclusively on the @UNDSCVRD_artist TikTok channel with the first episode going live in October.
The five finalists include:
- Taigh Wade, Mosman Park, WA, Singer/Songwriter (20) – originally from South Africa, Taigh had aspirations of becoming a professional rugby player, but an accident left him injured and unable to continue playing. During his recovery, Taigh picked up the guitar and taught himself how to play while recovering from his injury. With music as a new passion, Taigh began at the prestigious WAAPA, but soon realised he wanted to forge his path and style. Taigh has recently taught himself how to play the piano via YouTube tutorials and while he can’t technically read sheet music, the melody is certainly in his DNA as his dad is a singer in a band.
- Jade Stegbauer, Sutherland Shire, Sydney, NSW, Indie singer/Songwriter (18) – Discovering her love for music when living in the country, Jade is no newcomer to musical finesse. Jade is a multi-instrumentalist, expressing her music through guitar, keys, electric guitar, and saxophone.
- Jordyn Richards, Ryde, Sydney, NSW, Indie-pop singer/Songwriter (18) – With a strong passion for music throughout her entire life, from growing up and learning to play music, having MTV always on in the home, and playing gigs at local pubs from 11 years old, Jordyn has made music her element. Following high school, Jordyn committed to her passion and threw herself in the deep end by pursuing music full time.
- Felix ‘Checko’ Pacheco, Point Cook, Melbourne, VIC, Singer/Songwriter (17) – Relatively new to the music, practising the art over the past 2 years, Checko’s undeniable talent has helped him to become a notable up and coming rapper who writes and produces all of his original music. He is self-taught in audio engineering, helping close friends with their music production and creates music in the Melodic Rap genre.
- Rhian Aoun, Patterson Lakes, Victoria Pop singer/Songwriter (17) – Passionate about music her entire life, singing throughout school and performing in all of her school productions, Rhian captures the essence of a Soprano with her incredible vocal range. Rhian says her biggest influences come from global superstars Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande, inspired by their ability to blend electronic production elements with memorable vocals.
Following the announcement of the UNDSCVRD competition earlier this year in July, the five finalists will now be moving into the next phase of the competition. Over the next four weeks, the contestants will work directly with industry professionals and be mentored by The Veronicas to produce their single and accompanying music video.
Each contestant’s journey will be documented and presented on TikTok with the winner of UNDSCVRD selected by The Veronicas along with input from industry colleagues’ and consideration given to fan engagement on TikTok. Unique to UNDSCVRD, the five finalists will maintain complete ownership of their music masters and associated content and will be able to release their music as part of the UNDSCVRD series.
