Bronson Varde enjoyed music as he was growing up in Ewa Beach. He and a friend, Pu‘uwai Roback, started making music videos when they were students at Kamehameha Schools. In their senior year, they entered a video in “Brown Bags to Stardom,” a popular high school talent contest. They continued making YouTube videos using the name No Pressure Music after they graduated in 2012.
In 2020, Varde was chosen to audition for NBC’s reality singing show “The Voice,” but the pandemic delayed his trip to California and he missed his chance. However, the show’s producers remembered his name. When the network started development on a new talent competition, “American Song Contest” in 2021, Varde was invited to audition.
The producers liked his work and selected him to represent Hawaii.
The competition started March 21 with a field of 56 contestants — one for each state, U.S. territory and Washington, D.C. A 56-person jury selects one semifinalist each week; three more semifinalists, determined by a combination of jury and audience votes, are announced the following week.
Varde, 28, will compete on the next episode, airing 7 p.m. Monday. Vote for him at asc.vote.nbc.com.
A lot of Hawaii people dream of being on a national talent competition. How did you get there?
I was briefly a part of “The Voice” in Season 20. They flew me up to Burbank, and I was going to be a part of the blind auditions, but the teams were already selected. I didn’t get to do the blind auditions, but my name was already in the hat and they knew that I wrote songs. … (NBC) asked me to send some original songs. I sent about five or six songs, and they liked “4 You.” It was a long process.
You’re starting in a field of 56 that includes Jewel representing Alaska, Michael Bolton representing Connecticut, Sisqo representing Maryland and Jordan Smith, who won season nine of “The Voice,” representing Kentucky. How does that work for you?
It’s big, and the talents vary too. Some of these guys have so much exposure. I think it’s awesome.
Win or not, what are your expectations? Being on the show is already giving you national exposure.
To be honest, I really have no expectations. The thing that’s different about this show that I think is unique and that I think is awesome is that I’m representing the whole state. That’s something that I don’t take lightly. Going into the show, I want to do my family proud and I want to do my home proud, represent my state well. I’m here to showcase my talent and showcase my home.
What is happening with No Pressure Music?
We’re still close, but I think I’d like to do something under my own name. (Roback) joined the military, the National Guard, and is going to basic (training) soon. So we’re kind of going in different routes, but we have a good small core fan base for No Pressure Music. And I think people want to hear some more music out of us.
What do you want to be doing in 10 years?
My plan is to go full into music. I mean, when I got the news about the show — when they officially told me I was going to be part of the show — I used to work for the city in the Parks Department on the west side in Waianae — I was, like, “OK, I think it’s time.” No matter what happens with this show, I think that’s a sign. My passion is music, so I’m gonna go all in. I’ve been in some short films and I know I like to act, and I like songwriting. I’d like to write songs for other people. So, definitely in the entertainment industry.
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Reach John Berger at jberger@staradvertiser.com.
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WATCH IT
“American Song Contest”
Airs 7 p.m. Mondays on NBC.
