Now in its sixth year, Unearthed High is triple j’s initiative to unearth the best high school music acts across the country and introduce them to a wider audience. In May we put the call out to high school students all over the country to put their best original songs on triplejunearthed.com. A panel comprised of triple j and triple j Unearthed representatives deliberated over nearly 900 entries in what was an extremely competitive year.

Now let us to introduce you to the six best high school acts in Australia…

Lunatics On Pogosticks – Picasso’s Saddest Love (Newtown High, Sydney, NSW)
Lunatics On Pogosticks are a three-piece garage rock band making energetic lo-fi noise-pop. With skuzzy guitar sounds and catchy choruses, this trio of teen rapscallions bring distortion, fuzz, and a whole lotta fun.
www.triplejunearthed.com/artists/view.aspx?artistid=44629

Cypher – Liar (Redlands College, Brisbane, QLD)
Cypher is the moniker of a 15 year old singer/songwriter named Faith. Her haunting vocals, bare-boned honesty and beautiful instrumentation are emotive and breathtaking.
www.triplejunearthed.com/artists/view.aspx?artistid=66748

Under Scarlet Skies – Sanctuary (Lavalla Catholic Collage, Traralgon, Latrobe Valley, VIC)
Under Scarlet Skies are a four-piece melodic metalcore group from Traralgon, Victoria – a city located about 160 kilometres out of Melbourne. They’re influenced by Bring Me The Horizon, Northlane and I Killed The Prom Queen and their sound is huge.
www.triplejunearthed.com/artists/view.aspx?artistid=56487

Vancouver Sleep Clinic – Vapour (Citipointe Christian College, Brisbane, QLD)
Vancouver Sleep Clinic is the bedroom project of Brisbane singer/songwriter Tim Bettinson. For lovers of Bon Iver and James Blake, his atmospheric, reverb-drenched falsetto will send shivers down your spine.
www.triplejunearthed.com/artists/view.aspx?artistid=66376

Jaysways – Mirror (Mosman High School, Sydney, NSW)
Jaysways is a 17-year-old electronic producer from the Northern Beaches of Sydney who brings the vibe with super-clean, thoughtfully constructed blips and whirls that make you want to dance.
www.triplejunearthed.com/artists/view.aspx?artistid=51578

When We Were Small – Untied (Swinburne Senior Secondary College, Melbourne, VIC)
Troy, Madeline, Francesco and Jack make up indie-rock outfit When We Were Small. They’ve been making bouncy, swoony, soul-filled, fish and chip-fuelled tunes together since 2010.
www.triplejunearthed.com/Artists/View.aspx?artistid=43800

Head to triplejunearthed.com/unearthedhigh/ to listen and rate this year’s Unearthed High finalists. We want to know who YOU think sounds the best. Then tune into Breakfast with Tom & Alex on Friday 16 August as they announce the triple j Unearthed High 2013 winner.

triple j Unearthed’s priority is to find and nourish Australia’s emerging musical talent. Unearthed High focuses on unsigned high school acts – encouraging students to start writing and recording their own music. Once we find them we continue to provide opportunities like playing their songs on air, getting them on festival line-ups and exposing them to a wider audience. Past winners Asta, Snakadaktal, Stonefield and Hunting Grounds have gone on to enjoy incredible success after winning Unearthed High and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for this year’s Unearthed High finalists.