A Sunshine Coast band whose members aren't eligible for their P plates yet, Wave Raiders are firmly in the driver's seat of their music career.
The Wave Raiders story begins a number of years ago, when the young lads (Pete & Tom De Waard and Jayden Georg – who were only 10 to 12 years old) were keen to make an impression with one of their idols, Spiderbait, devising a cheeky plan (kids will be kids) to play their home town festival, Caloundra Music Festival.After smuggling in a sign that asked if they could join the band onstage to play 'Calypso', having waited under the scorching sun in the front row all day for their opportunity, much to their surprise Kram invited them up onstage.
Once vetted by Janet as to their ability to actually play their instruments, Pete, Tom, and Jayden strutted their stuff in front of 10,000 music fans, shredding and drumming their way to new-found glory with Janet singing.
"We had practiced 'Calypso' about ten times, and when Spiderbait called us up, from the side stage, Janet checked with us that we could actually play 'Calypso', and we reassured her that we could. We jumped up on the main stage and, much to the shock of the 10,000 fans, we nailed it!"
It was a performance that made Kram an instant fan. "This band will knock your socks off," he declared of Wave Raiders. Festival appearances at Bluesfest to Airlie Beach Festival of Music followed as well opening for Pricey, The Choir Boys, The Beautiful Girls, James Reyne, Dragon and Kingswood.
Recently they've opened for The Screaming Jets, while The Superjesus handpicked Wave Raiders as their main support. "Wave Raiders set the crowd alight," Sarah McLeod says. "Every time I've seen them, people stop in their tracks to watch and listen!"
After releasing their debut single 'Fun' last October, which they followed up with sophomore single 'Don't Wanna Be Late' in April, having released a joint single with The Superjesus titled 'A Punk Rock Christmas' in-between, the trio of future rockstars are ready to unveil their next release.
Influenced by the likes of The Chats, Silverchair, and The Screaming Jets, 'My Way' finds Wave Raiders channelling their inner-rock demon as they swing their patch-covered jackets above their heads, singing about not following the pack.
With a rollicking, fuzz-soaked, bluesy rock & roll opening that explodes in intensity, 'My Way' careens along with a punk-rock ethos featuring multiple tempo changes that oscillate between horn-raised energy and swampy-blues meanderings.
The vocals also belie the band's youthfulness, with a sneering punk attitude that's full-on DIY dynamism and unbridled exuberance. With such a meaty, vibrant sound, it's hard to fathom these lads are only 14-15-years-old – not even Silverchair sounded this polished at the same age!
Ahead of the song's release tomorrow (24 July), scenestr is thrilled to premiere 'My Way' today. Enjoy.
"A lot of rules and artificial barriers have been put in front of us in the music industry due to our ages, but we're not going to let them stop us," Pete De Waard (lead guitar and vocals) says. "We just want to make good music and get out there and play live."
In 2024, the boys saved all their gig money, took three days out of school, and hired Cameron McGlinchey (drummer from The Screaming Jets and Rogue Traders) to help them nip and tuck 'My Way', and some of their other original songs, in a backyard studio on the Sunny Coast.
This gave them the confidence to move forward with recording their song. UK producer Steve James (The Angels, Cold Chisel, Skunkhour, The Screaming Jets) and Cam worked with the boys to pre-produce the song before they went on to record it in the studio in Brisbane.
"We want our song to help people feel like they can be themselves and to ignore anyone who tries to get in the way of them achieving their aspirations." Unpredictable. Loud. Impossible to ignore. They aren't just riding the wave; they are the wave.
Wave Raiders host the 'My Way' single launch at Solbar (Sunshine Coast) on 17 August. The band then headline Nurture Festival at Mooloolaba Foreshore (Sunshine Coast) on 6 September (free entry).
