QUEENSLAND’S next generation of musicians has stepped out of the schoolyard and into the spotlight with 12 teenage acts filling The Cave Inn at Woolloongabba for a sold-out showcase.
Teenage Takeover capped a week of recording and performing through QUT’s 2026 Vermilion High program, giving emerging high school artists the chance to take their own songs from the studio to the stage.
Their performances impressed talented Redlands musician Lily Kunin, one half of The Kunins and Head of PR for Vermilion Records, who said the young artists commanded the stage well beyond their years.
“Something I was blown away by was the sheer confidence and stage presence of these young artists,” Kunin said.
“It didn’t feel like I was watching 14-17 year-olds, it felt like I was being treated to a professional show.”
Evie May, Ethan Dahl, Sophie Leigh, Kira Green, Liv Welsh, Braden Judge, Australian Idol Top 21 contestant Asher Iyer, Prom In The Woods, Glass Rain, Seb Tyne, Sabrina Rees and returning artist Ruby Elizabeth delivered a mix of genres, covers and original songs.
The showcase was one milestone in a program that will see all 13 participating artists record an original song at QUT’s Kelvin Grove studios to create an album in November.
With a sold-out showcase behind them, the artists are now preparing to share their music more widely through their compilation album.
