Like most 15-year-olds, local songwriter Seraph Hrubos is yet to experience the full gamut of life’s ups and downs.
But what the Cape Byron Steiner School student lacks in experience, he makes up for in imagination.
It was this quality, among others, that helped Seraph win the junior category of the BaySounds songwriting competition with his haunting indie rock ballad, Street Lights.
‘I don’t have a lot of [life] experience yet, so I guess a lot of my songs are about scenarios that are made up in my head,’ the Myocum local says.
‘Street Lights is about reminiscing about someone that you used to know, and also about bouncing back from stuff… being resilient.’
Now in its second year, BaySounds invites songwriters from across the Shire to submit their best original works for a chance to win studio time, air play, and a chance to perform at a mini-festival later in the year.
This year the competition included a junior category for the first time, with Seraph taking out the inaugural gong.
The judging panel, which is run by BayFM in collaboration with SAE, were no doubt impressed by the fact that Seraph recorded all of the different instrumental lines himself.
‘When I recorded Street Lights I went into the studio and played guitar, vocals, drums, keyboard, and bass,’ he says.
Moment of melody
But his usual composition process is more pared back.
‘I mainly just play guitar and sing when I write stuff,’ he says.
‘I get some melody in my head, hear it in my head… then when I get home I try and play it by ear on the guitar and put some chords behind it…’
‘With lyrics I guess you hear people say random stuff and you just write it down in a notebook or whatever and then go back to it later…’
While Year 9 is a little early to be making any final decisions about future careers, Seraph is pretty sure he’d like to give performing a go.
‘I think I do want to pursue music as my career even though it’s hard to do well in the industry,’ he says.
‘It’s about luck and being noticed, just having that exposure… but I’d like to try.
‘[Winning BaySounds] is really good. It’s a great opportunity… there’s a bit of publicity… more recording is great… I’ve got a new song that I’m thinking of recording.
‘It’s definitely going to help.’
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