For NZ Music Month the last couple of years, we asked bands/artists for a favourite memory of making music in Wellington.

It could involve a favourite gig, a funny story from the recording studio, a moment that led to the inspiration for a song, the fond recollection of a defunct venue, or the piece of music or lyric that they were most proud of creating.

We really enjoyed the stories people told us, so we are doing it again this year.

Next up is young Kapiti Singer-songwriter Peyton Morete. Peyton has been making music since she was nine and has won awards from Smokefree Rockquest, the annual Pride Awards and Kāpiti’s Champion of Change awards – winning the opportunity to have her song ‘Little Guys’ recorded, produced and mixed by Lee Prebble of Surgery Studio and Barnaby Weir of the Black Seeds. She was one of eight teens selected out of 120 nationwide last year to take part in the Pinnacle Programme, a mentoring programme for high achievers run by former Silver Fern Bernice Mene. She competed in the 2019 SmokefreeRockquest Wellington Region earlier this month, her 7th time in the competition, and came away with her 4th win for Solo/Duos. Her latest single ‘Am I Blind To Love’ was released on the 20th of May.

I was 10 years old when I first entered RockQuest. I rocked up with my purple Gypsy Rose guitar with matching stickers. I was immediately intimidated by all these 17/18 year old musicians playing in their college rock bands. Not only did I make the regional finals I won best lyrics! Not bad for a little kid that was still learning spelling lists for homework.