Perth-based band Helena. has been named this year’s West Australian Music (WAM) Song of the Year winner.
They took out the Grand Prize with their track “P’s Get Degrees”, which also won the Punk/Hardcore category.
Hailing from the Perth Hills, Helena. were praised by judges for “seamlessly blending rock anthems, pop punk, and harmonies” into a sound that’s “infectious and captivating.”
“With each performance they deliver catchy tunes that make you move and leave a lasting impression,” the judges added.
Read on for Tone Deaf’s interview with Helena.
Tone Deaf: How does it feel to have won such a prestigious award?
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Helena.: Honestly, unbelievable. We are so thankful for the opportunity to play music and write songs. I’m so grateful to WAM for encouraging local musicians to submit their music and come together. We did not expect to win the category, and to win Song of the Year just blew us away. It’s still sinking in even now, we are just 4 mates who enjoy hanging out and playing together and to have this kind of recognition is super cool.
Describe the Helena. sound in just three words.
Punchy, Loud and Energetic
Briefly tell us about the history of Helena. – when did the band come together?
We all grew up together, Nathan and I have been mates since year 1, (Nathan and Aaron are brothers), and Josh and Aaron have been mates since they were born (same birthday). Originally, it was just Nathan, Aaron and I in high school playing at the school assemblies and youth group. We stopped playing as much as uni and work started to become bigger in our lives.
Nathan and I started jamming again in 2020 and wrote a couple of songs, which led us to ask Aaron and Josh if they wanted to start up the band again. After 8 months of playing and writing, we were ready for our first show. We played at the Indi bar in Scarborough and had such a great time, we decided to keep pursuing shows and writing music together, and that’s how we got to where we are now.
What makes the WA music scene so special?
The best thing about the WA music scene is that it is not a competition between bands and musicians; everyone is super supportive, from encouraging each other after a set to giving tips on how to make a name for yourself. We have had such great opportunities from different booking agents. Particular shoutout to Josh Sweetman for letting us jump on his line-ups regularly to give us a platform to play our music and get some experience playing live shows. Overall, there is just awesome music being made in WA I have playlists I listen to of just WA artists, and it’s incredible. The talent we have around us is enormous, and we are super grateful to be a part of it.
What have you got coming up in 2025 and beyond?
We are currently back in the studio with YT Productions recording another single, which we will have coming out hopefully around September/October. We have taken a bit of a hiatus from playing shows at the moment, but we are supporting our mates Humming in early October.
We are continuing to write music and currently are refining a couple of songs, but they aren’t quite ready to be recorded. Beyond October, we don’t know what it looks like for the band, we take each opportunity as it presents itself and are just enjoying the ride.
