Year 11 student Gab Strum, who goes by the musical moniker of Japanese Wallpaper, is the newly crowned winner of triple j‘s 2014 Unearthed High competition and will be heading into triple j studios with his delicate, melancholic pop to record a track which will not doubt get some serious airplay.
The 17-year-old already has some incredible musical accolades under his shiny new belt. He’s already played a set at this year’s Splendour In The Grass plus nabbed support slots for acts like Fractures and SOHN.
Gotye, Chet Faker, Bertie Blackman, Bombay Bicycle Club and Hollywood actor/director Zach Braff have already sung his praises. Braff has gone as far as featuring the Japanese Wallpaper track Breathe In (ft. Wafia) in his latest film Wish I Was Here.
“When I heard it, it just really moved me,” explained Braff to Entertainment Weekly in his audio commentary of the film’s soundtrack. “And it was perfect, the perfect thing for that spot in the movie where it is.” Strum’s music sits beside tracks from The Shins, Bon Iver, Cat Power and Coldplay.
“Gab’s been sharing his music through triple j Unearthed since he was 14 years old and it’s been incredible to watch him develop into an artist that makes clever, bold music,” said triple j Unearthed Music Director Dave Ruby Howe. “It kills me that he’s only 17 and has such control of his sound. He’s an overachieving superstar and he richly deserves the crown as the winner of Unearthed High 2014.”
Japanese Wallpaper will also play alongside Seth Sentry at an exclusive concert put on for his school. Previous Unearthed High winners include Lunatics on Pogosticks, Asta, Snakadaktal, Stonefield and Howl.
Listen: Japanese Wallpaper – Breathe In (ft. Wafia)
