Series Synopsis

A band of thirty schoolgirls brave tensions, line-up changes and heartbreak to triumph at Europe’s top music festivals. Over the course of a year, the Sweethearts face the hardest lesson of all – when to let go.

Episode Synopses

Episode 7 – Under Pressure

Sweethearts score two gigs at the Montreux Jazz Festival and Ross pushes the band to improve. The horn section scrapes by in their first gig without Maddi. While the girls are stressed by exams, Ross is stressed by the band’s disunity. Their annual fundraiser, “Party”, looms as a disaster.

There’s exciting news for the band: they have scored two gigs at the world renowned Montreux Jazz Festival. Ross needs to elevate the band’s musical standard to the highest level. That means pushing them to their limits.

Maddi and her family are on a reconnaissance trip to the USA. Ross puts the pressure on a hesitant Tilly to perform Maddi’s solo. She improves yet again. Meanwhile Claudia gets tuition for her onstage dance moves.

Ross is worried at the girls’ lacklustre self-promotion, especially on social media. “Party” is Sweethearts’ annual fundraising event, and the biggest for the Europe tour. Ticket sales are poor.

The band entered “Ten Foot Tall” into the Triple J “Unearthed” competition, where the public can vote for their favourite unsigned band. Although the song started well and got to number four, the girls didn’t sustain the promotion and the song’s popularity fell. Ross brings in a social media expert to advise the girls on promotion.

With both Maddi and Tilly absent from the next rehearsal, it falls to the newest trumpet player, Leah, to perform the solos. She’s feeling the pressure of trying to fill Maddi’s shoes.

Ross confronts the band about the importance of presenting as a united front. He’s particularly concerned about the backing vocalists lack of coordination and the trumpet players’ ability to cover Maddi’s absence.

At the next gig, alto saxophonist Bella outshines Leah and Tilly and covers one of Maddi’s solos. Tilly still has the solo on “Red In Your Eyes” to cover and she’s dreading it. Her anxiety is in overdrive, with the demands of mid year exams and Sweethearts colliding. Jess and Brigid are in the same boat.

The band snares a rare spot playing live to air on state radio in Melbourne. It’s on the afternoon of “Party” so time is of the essence. The radio spot goes well but they get stuck in Melbourne’s peak hour traffic.

With ticket sales low and two thirds of the band stuck in traffic seventy kilometres away, “Party” looks a likely disaster.