Bronson Varde to represent Hawaii at NBC’s ‘American Song Contest’

Bronson Varde loved music while growing up in Ewa Beach. He and a friend, Pu’uwai Roback, started making music videos when they were students at Kamehameha schools. During their senior year, they participated in a video in “Brown Bags to Stardom”, a popular high school talent contest. They continued to make YouTube videos using the name No Pressure Music after graduating in 2012.

In 2020, Varde was chosen to audition for NBC’s reality 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 began development of a new talent contest, “American Song Contest” in 2021, Varde was asked to audition.

The producers liked his work and chose him to represent Hawaii.

The competition began March 21 with a field of 56 contestants – one for each state, US territory and Washington, DC A 56-person jury selects a semi-finalist each week; three more semi-finalists, determined by a combination of jury and public votes, are announced the following week.

Varde, 28, will take part in the next episode, which airs Monday at 7 p.m. Vote for him at asc.vote.nbc.com.

Many Hawaiians dream of competing in a national talent show. How did you get there?

I was briefly part of “The Voice” in season 20. They took me to Burbank, and I was going to be part of the blind auditions, but the teams were already selected. I couldn’t do the blind auditions, but my name was already in the hat and they knew I was writing songs. …(NBC) asked me to send original songs. I sent about five or six songs, and they liked “4 You”. It was a long process.

You start 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 it work for you?

It’s big, and the talents vary too. Some of these guys are so exposed. I think that’s great.

To win or not, what are your expectations? Being on the show already gives 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 awesome is that I represent the entire state. It’s something I don’t take lightly. By entering the show, I want to make my family proud and I want to make my house proud, to represent my state well. I’m here to show off my talent and showcase my home.

What’s going on with No Pressure Music?

We’re still close, but I think I’d like to do something under my own name. (Roback) has joined the Army, National Guard, and will soon be going through basic training. So we go down different paths, but we have a good little fan base for No Pressure Music. And I think people want to hear more music from us.

What do you want to be in 10 years?

My plan is to go deep into the music. I mean, when I heard the news about the show – when they officially told me I was going to be on the show – I was working for the city at the parks department on the west side of Waianae – j was, like, “OK, I think it’s time.” Whatever’s going on with this show, I think it’s a sign. My passion is music, so I’m going to go all out. I’ve been in a few shorts and I know I love to act, and I love to write songs. I would like to write songs for other people. So definitely in the entertainment industry.

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Contact John Berger at [email protected]