Bella Watson is taking her guitar and songs to the Smokefreerockquest national finals in Wellington after being selected as the sole finalist from Nelson Tasman and one of just seven in the solo-duo section of the competition
The 17-year-old Waimea College student describes her selection as “surreal” and unexpected, especially after entering the Nelson regional competition at the last minute.
The regionals was the first time she has ever performed solo on stage, after entering the previous two years in bands.
“It was exciting because I didn’t have any pressure. Everyone at Rockquest is very supportive and you get good feedback from other musicians.”
Her song choice in Nelson, ‘Love Goes On’, was a heartfelt tribute to a friend who lost her life in an avalanche last year after returning to Europe following an exchange at Waimea College.
“It was a song I wrote to help process my grief and share her love of life. Sometimes it’s quite hard to perform the song because it has so much meaning, but it’s a way of being able to keep her memories alive and help others deal with grief.”
A video of her Nelson performance of ‘Love goes on’ was sent to her friend’s mother overseas as a gift that reflected the friendships her daughter made in New Zealand.
Bella has been singing as long as she can remember and began taking it seriously toward the end of primary school, then adding guitar in intermediate.
“It’s always handy to bring out at campfires!”
Writing her own music was a natural progression and, if she had to put a label on her style, it would probably be indie-pop, with lyrics that tell stories about her own life and the people around her.
“It’s quite nice to write about what you know and help other people to feel they are being seen.”
After being placed second in the solo-duo section at the regional competition, Bella had to submit videos of additional original songs for the next stage. She was stunned to learn she had earned a place in the national finals in Wellington on 17 September.
“I had no expectations of getting this far and I’m very grateful for the opportunity and excited about these new experiences.
“I just enjoy singing and writing songs, so to have someone say you’re good at it is quite special. Rockquest is about encouraging young musicians to get out there and having these opportunities to see where it could take them.”
This year, more than 3,700 student performers brought their original music to the stage across 37 live events held around the country.
