A prize in their eyes

16/03/2011 10:42:00 a.m.

Darren Watson.

LOCAL musicians Thomas Oliver and Darren Watson are both finalists for the blues section of the 2010 International Songwriting Competition. Oliver’s Goin’ Home and Watson’s Love is an Ocean have put them in the running for $3,000 in prizes should one win top prize for the section. They are also eligible for $25,000 cash and $20,000 worth of prizes should either take the grand prize.
Watson won the blues category in 2008, and placed third in 2009.
“It’s pretty amazing, the competition gets tougher every year and it’s cool even getting in the final. The fact that there are two guys from Wellington in the blues category is awesome,” says Watson. Love is an Ocean is on his recently released album Saint Hilda’s Faithless Boy.
Oliver, who has just released his debut album Baby, I’ll Play, is a past semi-finalist.
“It’s nice to have been selected. It’s a wicked competition that actually has a decent prize and quite a bit of kudos,” he says.
The Thomas Oliver Band also made the semi-finals this time with the music video for Goin’ Home and in the country category for song Strangest Feeling I’m Home, but neither song made the final shortlist.
Judges include Rhianna, Ben Folds, Ben Harper, Tom Waits, Kings of Leon, Timbaland, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Williams and top industry executives.
There are also three Auckland finalists through. Google Song by Gareth Thomas is in the folk singer/songwriter and music video sections; Bullet for your gun by Sam Browne of Black River Drive in the rock section and Come to the river by Parachute Band’s Sam de Jong, Omega Levine and Richard Knott for the gospel/Christian award.

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