Your Radio BurgerFuel x JB Hi-Fi Battle of the Bands winners for 2025!
In April, we held our 2nd annual Radio BurgerFuel x JB Hi-Fi Battle of the Bands, which saw our five finalists battle it out to be crowned the winner. Fan Club came out on top, wowing our judging panel and crowd alike. We sat down with Fan Club to learn about their journey and how they got to where they are today. Check it out.
How did this all start, did you grow up loving music, singing. Was this always a dream for you?
Caleb: I always had a lot of energy as a kid, and I still do, and it seemed so perfect to mix that energy with my deep passion for music. I used to always watch live videos of bands I looked up to. It was a dream of mine to be in that position one day
Emma: I grew up doing musical theatre, and singing was my least favourite thing! It wasn’t until my first year of high school that I learnt guitar and started writing songs, where I really came into my own. I’ve loved singing since then.
Tilly: I grew up in a musical household where my dad and sister played piano, guitar and sang. All of my four grandparents sing and play instruments, and so I loved to join in as a kid. As I got older, I started playing the bass as I knew I didn't want to be at the front of the band and found the bass a fun instrument to keep going with.
Elliott: My passion for playing music started (apart from being in a range of preschool music programmes) when a music school opened up 30 seconds away from where I live, when I was 10. I picked up drum lessons and instantly fell in love, leading me to discover my passion for overall music and live music, which came later on, as a result of being in multiple bands during intermediate.
Who are your music inspirations?
Caleb: Boston Manor, Paramore, Middle Kids, Shihad and Villainy
Emma: Billie Eilish, Mk.Gee, Devon Again, The Beatles, Jeff Buckley
Tilly: I've never had specific favourites, but I've loved The Beatles, Billie Eilish, Arctic Monkeys, Hozier, and Ms. Lauryn Hill
Elliott: This changes often, but some of my biggest inspirations are: Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, Shihad, Jack White, Twenty One Pilots and The Grogans.
What keeps you motivated, especially doing this and still being at High School?
Caleb: It’s been fun to put the stuff I’ve been learning at Uni around studying jazz into a pop-rock band context. Also, I LIVE to perform on stage.
Emma: I skipped Year 12 and finished Year 13 early online to pursue music. Seeing my lyrics connect to people keeps me motivated to continue to express myself.
Tilly: I enjoy being involved in lots of things, such as Jazz combo at school, and I find ways to balance school work with them.
Elliott: I’m lucky that the school I go to is very encouraging of music and musical careers, with different options available to take your music performance/creation knowledge to the next level. I enjoy the (sometimes) challenge of balancing school and music, with being able to handle multiple things surely being a good skill to have for the future!
Let’s talk about your song, Sedate, tell us more about this, how it came to be, the process, the inspo?
Emma: The song was written as part of an NZOA Music Development Grant that producer Jesse Sheehan put me forward for. One part of it was a co-writing session with Jesse Sheehan and Bella Bavin (Coast Arcade). We were chatting about things in our lives, and I brought up my frustrations. I was feeling quite overwhelmed by some people in my life and the expectations they held over me. I was able to really articulate the things I never could say to their face in this song.
You guys were part of the Play it Strange Shortland Street partnership. How did that come to be, and how did it feel to hear your song playing on a TV show?
Play It Strange had reached out to their alumni about their partnership with Shortland Street, and we knew we had to be involved! Our very first song, Never Ever, was a Youthtown Play It Strange finalist in 2022. We submitted a bunch of songs we thought could fit, and they really liked our song “Sedate”. We were able to play “Sedate” live on TVNZ Breakfast! It was so surreal hearing our song in the background of such an iconic NZ television show!
What do you having coming up that you can share with us?
We have a few new song recordings in the works (more than one now, thanks to this win). We are the opening act for Ball Park Music for their Auckland show at the Tuning Fork on June 7th. It’s our first international support spot, so we are excited about it!
What burger do you think ‘Fan Club’ would be if it were on the BF menu and why?
Caleb: I think the Fan Club would be a standard beef burger with some added beetroot. Got to keep our colours in there
Tilly: Something with a bit of everything, like maybe the Bacon BBQ Roaster
Elliott: I second Tilly!
What would your ideal BF burger contain?
Caleb: Beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles and some great sauces
Emma: Bacon, Lettuce, Beef, Cheese, a bunch of different sauces
Tilly: Chicken, Lettuce, cheese, tomato, sauces
Elliott: Beef, cheese, bacon, pickles, lettuce and lots of sauce.
To round out an epic interview, we had to put Fan Club through our quick-fire round.
What is your go-to song for Jam Out in the Car?
Caleb: The Dream by Romes
Emma: The Price by Abby Holliday
Tilly: Purple Rain by Prince.
Elliott: Think You’re So Free by Shihad or Powerlines by Tame Impala.
Who is your favourite artist at the moment?
Caleb: Middle Kids have been my fav for a while now
Emma: Devon Again
Tilly: Never really had a favorite but I always continue to listen to The Beatles.
Elliott: Favourite artist at the moment would have to be Sam Fender.
One thing you can’t perform without?
Caleb: Vans shoes!
Emma: Water!!
Tilly: Baggy jeans!
Elliott: A band t-shirt!
One artist or band you would love to co-lab with?
Caleb: Fan Club and Paramore would be amazing.
Emma: I think Fan Club collaboration with Wunderhorse would be wicked!
Tilly: I think Fanclub and Park Road would be awesome.
Elliott: Collaborating with Dave Grohl is the ultimate. On an NZ scale, working with Jon Toogood would be epic.
Go to BurgerFuel order.
Caleb: My go-to would be a classic Double American Muscle
Emma: C & Cheese with no tomatoes or onions and bacon added on!
Tilly: The Modified Thunderbird.
Elliott: I go for the classic American Muscle. Sometimes a double.
Fire or Backfire
Pickles in burgers
Caleb: Fire!! Double the pickles
Emma: Absolutely not. Backfire.
Tilly: Fire 100%
Elliott: Half fire? Sometimes I dig them, sometimes I don’t
Crocs
Caleb: Not for me. Backfire
Emma: Vibe with them but wouldn’t buy my own - will happily borrow my friends’ ones though hehe. Heat but not fire.
Tilly: Backfire, not for me at all
Elliott: Backfire!
Karaoke
Caleb: Fire
Emma: FIRE. I will never pass up a good karaoke sesh
Tilly: Fire!! I love karaoke
Elliott: Fire!
BurgerFuel Aioli
Caleb: Fire, best aioli around
Emma: Coming from a picky eater - yes I love FIRE
Tilly: Fire, I love aioli
Elliott: Heat!!
Acoustic performances
Caleb: Nothing better than some acoustic instruments and the outdoors. Fire
Emma: Fire. Vibey. Yes.
Tilly: Fire, love them
Elliott: As a drummer, backfire. As a music enjoyer, fire!
NZ Music Month
Caleb: The most flaming hot fire ever!
Emma: Sooo fire
Tilly: Fiiirreee
Elliott: Scorching!
Festivals
Caleb: super fire
Emma: Incredibly fire
Tilly: Amazing, fire
Elliott: Absolute fire!
Singing in the shower
Caleb: FIRE (RIP my neighbours)
Emma: So fire - I don’t do it enough
Tilly: Definitely fire
Elliott: Fire!
Pineapple on pizza
Caleb: Fire, love it
Emma: Backfire - not a fan
Tilly: FIRE!, my go to
Elliott: Backfire, not for me!
Supermarket in bare feet in NZ:
Caleb: Backfire
Emma: so fire, especially in summer
Tilly: Backfire, not in a supermarket
Elliott: Backfire! Would say fire for dairies in the summer, though.
Check out Fan Club's awesome music HERE!
