It was only in February that a Newcastle indie rock band experienced the thrill of hearing their music on triple j.
Trophy Wyfe, the Whitebridge-based three-piece, had previously been played on Unearthed, triple j's digital channel for unsigned acts, but here was their single Bullseye blaring over the national youth broadcaster's radio waves.
Expect to hear plenty more of Trophy Wyfe on triple j after the band was named as one of five finalists in the Unearthed High competition this week for their new single, Spiders.
While nothing is assured in today's music business, Unearthed High has delivered a national launch pad to the likes of ARIA Award-winners Genesis Owusu and The Kid Laroi, as well as Gretta Ray, Hockey Dad and The Rions.
"I think we're still kind of grasping it because it's obviously such a huge thing and it has such crazy alumni in that competition," Trophy Wyfe bassist Neve Scully said.
"We're just super stoked even to have our music up on Unearthed; it's like guaranteed to at least get listened to by a member of the triple j team and that's really cool.
"We were just stoked that we were getting some reviews coming in, but then when they announced the finalists, we just couldn't believe it."
No Newcastle artist has ever won Unearthed. Former Callaghan College Jesmond student David Egbelakin, aka Theo Landish, was the last local finalist when he qualified in 2022 with his song Feelings Change.
"The Newcastle scene as a whole is just really supportive and uplifting of everyone," Trophy Wyfe guitarist and vocalist Rex Wardle said.
"So, I think it's been a really big deal, not just for us, but for the scene as a whole."
Wardle, 17, Scully, 19, and drummer Tallis Kessell, 17, formed Trophy Wyfe in 2023 while students at Whitebridge High School.
Wardle and Kessell are in year 12 at Whitebridge High, while Scully graduated last year.
Trophy Wyfe's early gigs were DIY shows in Wardle's back shed due to the trio being underage.
They finessed their sound, influenced by Australian bands like You Am I, The Drones, Screamfeeder and Bad//Dreems and received the odd noise complaint.
"Those first few gigs were just us trying to prove ourselves as a band and getting our mates over and having fun with it and trying to see where it takes us, because it was really hard to get a proper show," Wardle said.
Trophy Wyfe has since played at all of Newcastle's major music venues, performed at West Best Bloc Fest and supported Melbourne punk band Press Club in Sydney and Wollongong.
The band's music has also developed rapidly since their indie-pop first single Monday in 2024 and debut album, No One's Listening, released in June last year.
Spiders showcases a grittier post-punk sound as Wardle calls out toxic masculinity and misogyny among his peers.
"It can be a really tough place, I think, for a young person in general - the sort of hate that grows on the internet and the misogyny and the racism and all that," Wardle said.
"People get caught up in it and I think a lot of young men especially just joke about that sort of stuff and think it's funny and normal to get a laugh, when in reality it's really harmful and degrading.
"I think there's a real culture of kind of letting that slide and not standing up and that song is really a call-out to people. They know what they're saying is the wrong thing; they know it's harmful, but they still do it.
"It's a call-out to your mates when they're saying those things or making those really harmful decisions, to just call them out and stand up for what you know is the right thing."
The other finalists in triple j Unearthed High 2026 are 14-year-old electro-pop singer Alli Kate and hardcore band TwoSeventy, both from the Sunshine Coast and Melbourne hip-hop artist Lithu.
