ARTICLE: SweetSpot - Jaspers Jottings

SWEETSPOT: INSIDE THE LOLLIPOP.

Every high school musician's dream is to be in one of the coolest university bands, having a kick-ass time with their mates, and making the most of their late teens and early twenties. For Alana, Cameron, Joe, and Philip from SweetSpot, this dream is an everyday reality, taking flight from day one of uni and developing into the funky psychedelic group that they are now. With an illustrative name and consistent design language, it’s just the cherry on top that SweetSpot can jam their fingers off like your cool older siblings after 10 pm.

Having formed in 2020, Sweetspot have already played locally coveted gigs like CubaDupa 2021 and made it to the finals of the Wellington Battle of the Bands, among various house parties and university shows. While this early success has been enjoyable for each member, they’ve still had to put in the hard yards and work together to get to where they are today; the less romantic part of band life that doesn’t get the same rose-tinted treatment as the rest of the job.

During a cohort-wide speed dating session on the first day of the uni year, Joe Andrew and Phillip Kim both found each other wanting to form a band. Phil jokes, “It was love at first sight. I recognized an aura emanating from Joe and for some reason, I was interested in him.” Comedy aside, Joe already had experience playing drums in a pub band called @Large,with the personality to match, so Phil got his number and off they went in search of a bassist and guitarist. Alana Hauraki was a keen bass player that Phil and Joe had the wits to swoop up early, then finalizing their lineup with the talented Cameron Halberg on lead guitar.

Hilariously, Phil remembers locking themselves in Joe’s flat with only a bucket full of crisps for days to come up with the best band name. Joe uttered the words ‘SweetSpot’ and the origin story was complete.

*SweetSpot’*s sound started as a bubbly pop rock but has since developed into more progressive music. Using techniques like instrument swaps and extended jam sessions, they found their sonic feet and started to branch out conceptually. However, broadening their sound to celebrate their differences means they’ve had to work together more than ever to achieve this cohesive brand. “One thing I've always wanted to do… is to create a concept album. I guess consciously or subconsciously, I've been trying to subtly push the band in that direction.” The other members were enthusiastic about creating a world where they could project an exaggerated version of common modern problems, however, Phil admits it was very slow in the beginning. “None of us knew where to start.” Each band member had a separate idea of how to take the main character through the story and the different ways they wanted the album to flow but he says it's all about compromise.  “As a band, the most important thing to do is to make music together and not to fight each other with conflicting ideas. I think we generally do a decent enough job in hearing everyone out in a practical context, with the mindset of ‘Let's try this and if it doesn't work out, let's try this other thing’”. Through collaboration with bandmates, they were surprised with how a simple idea can snowball from imagery to soundscapes and rhythm, eventually ending up as a finished song.

Writing together as a group sounds like a world of fun, but in order to create a valuable product, each band member needs to collaborate without ego and contribute without agenda. To find four people willing to set aside their pride in the name of the group is rare and valuable but essential to success. “There are a lot of ideas we want to put in, ideas that create conflict within the band, but I think the best thing is to keep the music first and feel it out a lot of the time.” This reminds me of Ringo Starr’s mantra, ‘Serve The Song’, which has been repeated to me with every new instrument I’ve picked up in my life. The maturity required to execute this well is something we musicians grow into with time but SweetSpot has perpetuated it straight out the gate.

Being in a band is a strong social drawcard and offers a glorified career but it requires real commitment and real personal compromise that most audience members don’t get a proper appreciation for.

Finding a consistent time to rehearse is just the first step in a line of concessions it takes to be as cool as SweetSpot, but they all find it worthwhile. “Being around passionate musicians drives us to be more passionate… we have learned so much from being around such talented people.”

SweetSpot have the rest of the year to enjoy their time at Massey but are being tight-lipped on any future plans. I hope that they take what they’ve created here and bring it forward in life as they have nailed the formula of cohesion and collaboration, the foundation for a prosperous career together. Phil left me with a quote that sums up their writing style perfectly so I’ll leave it with you. “As cheesy as it is to hear, just create the vibes and the jams first, then write what feels right over it.”

Written by Jasper West