Auckland Band Sidetracked Heads to Smokefree Rockquest National Finals

Of more than 1,000 bands, only 8 were chosen to be national finalists and have the opportunity to perform at the National Band Finals on Friday, 18 September in Wellington and Sidetracked are the only Auckland band selected to perform.

The band line-up features Ruby (lead vocals + rhythm guitar), Tuva (lead guitar), Jimmy (drums), Indi (bass guitar + backing vocals), and Madi (keys). They formed a band in 2023 with support and encouragement from John Kennedy and Izak Kennedy from TatMuze in Te Atatu.

In 2025, Sidetracked was ready to take the next step, writing original songs and entering music competitions around Auckland. Around this time, the band joined Lila School of Bands and began working closely with their mentor Bella Bavin, lead singer of Coast Arcade. Bella brought valuable experience and knowledge to the group and with her guidance and support, they continued to grow, write new songs, and most importantly continued to enjoy their musical journey.

Over the past year, Sidetracked has had the opportunity to perform their original songs at a variety of events and venues around Auckland, but the Rockquest National Final in
Wellington will be an absolute highlight.

The next exciting step for Sidetracked is to begin recording their original music. To help make this a reality, a special gig will be held on Saturday, 10 October at the Te Atatū South Community Centre. The line-up will showcase a range of talented young musicians from West Auckland, including Incipit, Arsenic, White Lies, BPM, and No Way Out. The event aims to raise funds towards recording Sidetracked’s original music, giving them the opportunity to share their songs with the wider public.