Student band wins at WAM awards

A song written by a local band comprising of four secondary students has received a gong at the recent Western Australian Music (WAM) awards.

Carine Senior High School Year 12 music students Mahaan Gandhi and Harry Burge are two members of the indie rock band Hey So Hungry, which formed in 2022.

The other two members of the band, Jack Hamilton and Maisie Jamieson, attend St Stephen’s School. 

Their recent track, Nocturnal, won them the top spot in the 2024 WAM Song of the Year competition, in the Schools 15-18 category.  

The band’s drummer, Mahaan, said the Hey So Hungry started from the member’s common interest in the Perth music scene and watching local musicians play. 

“We were inspired to start our own band together whilst being able to further develop our skills on the instruments we are passionate about,” he said. 

Harry, the lead guitarist, said it was incredible to receive the award. 

“This award meant a lot to all of us, as it meant that our song writing and work in the industry was recognised and credited by a new audience,” he said. 

“To win an award, that so many musicians we have met and looked up to have won before, was a privilege and we couldn't be more grateful.” 

Hey So Hungry was also a finalist in the Pop category.  

Mahaan said it meant the world to them to be recognised by other talent musicians in the industry. 

“The music community in Australia, and in Western Australia specifically, is so diverse and we’ve been able to meet so many amazing people through our music,” he said. 

“There’s an energy that we bring when we play together that we don’t get from anything else and it’s so amazing that we are able to share it.” 

Carine Senior High School associate principal Sue Somerville said it was an amazing achievement for both students.  

“They are excellent role models for our young aspiring music students,” she said. 

“It is fantastic to see them recognised for their talent and hard work and we look forward to seeing and hearing their success in the future.” 

Harry said playing with the band brings out a lot of creativity and together they get to work on their song writing and experiment with different sounds. 

“We hope that this award gives us the platform to share our music to a wider audience and give us the opportunity to record more songs and branch out, outside of Perth to grow our music and audience,” he said. 

You can listen to Hey So Hungry’s music here.