THE ROCHELLE LEES BAND: POP MUSIC WINNERS @ NCEIA DOLPHIN AWARDS 2017

Lach mixed, recorded, produced and played bass and keys on this little baby- Think he's a bit stoked right here.

The Dolphin Awards (North Coast Industry Association Awards) recognise music excellence and songwriting in the Northern Rivers of Australia. The competition can be fierce with cultural hubs like Byron Bay (the home of many iconic Aussie festivals) just down the road. The area is flourishing with Australia's up-coming artists and has a thriving music industry.

We were so fortunate to have won a Dolphin Award 2 years ago with the very FIRST Pop song that our team wrote called "Tell Me It's Over." The win encouraged our team to keep writing and develop our sound, which pays homage to our love of pop and the music of the 80s and 90s. The same song was nominated as a finalist in the Australian Independent Music Awards in 2016 and recently has been chosen as a finalist in The Australian Songwriting Association Awards 2017. Acknowledgement from the industry has spurred us on to continue to develop our sound and produce commercial pop.

1. IMAGE NCEIA AWARDS 2015 -We were so cohesive this night - so proud of us- not even planned...I swear. IMAGE 2: Lach and Chelle gettin' fancy for Sydney's Australian Music Industry Awards Sydney 2016

This year, we were a finalist with a song that's in development called "I Should Have Told You (That I Love You)" about unrequited love. It's in pre-production stage and we will record and release it come the year's end because we WON the Pop category on Tuesday night! Lachlan (bass/keys/production) says, "We use the awards as a gauge to see if we will develop the tune and whether people in the industry are diggin' it. If it gets a nod, we aim to produce it."

We spoke about the thriving community in Los Angeles can be a vision for the North Coast and How Commercial radio needs to get behind upcoming artists

Rochelle laughs, "There was a little drama on the night...the power went out when I was getting ready so (it's very girly of me but) I had some hair and make up issues and decided to post a humourous video about it- on our Facebook and instragram groups. Turns out, in addition to our music being recognised amongst our peers, we won hair and make up for our groups' next photoshoot!" She continues "The Lismore Region has really done it tough since the floods earlier this year. It's completely heartbreaking that in my hometown many business have struggled to rebuild or to re-open their doors. Thanks to Bobby's Hair and Beauty for their sponsorship and support of the music industry during what has been a very difficult time for the regions' businesses."