2018 Unearthed High winner KIAN is already fielding offers from international agents

It’s only been a couple hours since Victorian teenager KIAN was announced as the winner of this year’s triple j Unearthed High competition and he’s already fielding international offers.

Thanks to KIAN’s winning single Waiting, he’ll be flown to the triple j studios in Sydney to professionally record the track and receive industry mentoring.

Amazingly enough, despite being fairly new on the scene, Kian has appeared on the youth station’s Hottest 100 countdown before. The singer provided backup vocals for Baker Boy‘s hit song Cloud 9 which came in at #76 on this year’s countdown.

The relationship between Baker Boy aka Danzal Baker has flourished since meeting through the Indigenous Hip Hop Project; an initiative of Kian’s father and co-manager, Dion.

As co-manager Chryss Carr of AUM PR+MGMT details, Baker Boy played a big part in pushing KIAN to the next level.

“It was at Danzal’s request to shine a spotlight on KIAN and get him ready; Danzal likes looking after his brotha boys,” Carr told TMN.

“Since Waiting was released my inbox has been seriously slammed with requests from major record labels both local and international and live agents.

“Now with this Unearthed win this crazy journey is just going to get crazier.

“I feel like we’ve just gotten Baker Boy off the ground and now we going to do it all over again KIAN-style – we’re one hell of a ride this one, it’s fun, it’s exciting, but there’s no time to smell the roses that’s for sure.”

KIAN agrees that it’s only onwards and upwards from here.

“Being announced as a triple j Unearthed High finalist was such an incredible feeling and I was honoured to be among some really talented artists,” KIAN told TMN.

“The satisfaction of knowing all the hard work I’ve been putting in is showing signs of paying off really boosted my confidence and positivity surrounding my music.

“It’s made me aware that people are liking what I have to offer as an artist which inspires me to keep pushing myself and to keep doing what I love!”

triple j Unearthed music director Dave Ruby Howe said that despite the tough competition KIAN clearly shined through.

“In the end though, KIAN stood out the strongest this year, emerging as one of the most promising voices in the country – high school aged and otherwise. It feels like just the beginning of this young artist’s story,” Howe said.

Listen to KIAN’s winning tune below.