Back in August, a 14-year-old girl released a song that addressed her experiences with high school bullies head on.
Called “lego”, the ‘90s-infused rock anthem quickly gained momentum online, bringing the teenager into a spotlight that she wasn’t ready for.
The artist, Maple’s Pet Dinosaur, found herself plunged into a whirlwind of attention surrounding the song and particularly its music video, which achieved viral success.
It featured a simple setup: Maple and her band performing on a porch, the footage captured via a neighbour’s Ring camera, capturing the natural charisma and youthful energy of a group of friends having fun. The video’s success on social media platforms propelled Maple’s Pet Dinosaur onto global radars, and “lego” became the most-viewed Instagram Reel in history by an Australian-born artist, with over 55 million views and counting.
Unsurprisingly, Maple quickly generated a tight community of fans after the single’s release, while industry tastemakers in Australia, North America, South America, and Europe have been naming her one to watch. It’s been a crazy year for the rising star from Newcastle, now aged 15, and as she looks ahead to 2026, Maple’s vision has never been clearer.
When I meet Maple, it’s backstage at Good Things 2025 in Melbourne.
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It’s the morning of her — at that point — biggest show to date. The festival itself has a 16+ age limit, a rule that was amended to allow Maple’s Pet Dinosaur to perform.
She arrives on site dressed in shades of grey and purple, her eyes scanning the surroundings with slight bewilderment. The smile that slowly spreads across her face when the reality of what today means for her and her band is infectious.
Having driven to Melbourne from Newcastle overnight, Maple’s Pet Dinosaur were set to perform early in the afternoon, before getting back in the van to drive to Sydney for the festival’s next stop on Saturday.
Despite the long hours on the road, Maple bursts with excitement at finally achieving another dream. “When I found out, I was so shocked,” she says. “Even on the drive here, I couldn’t believe that we were doing this. It has to be a dream. This is the coolest thing I’ve ever done.
“Everything that has happened so far, I never expected any of it. It gives me a lot of hope that it will keep going well. I wake up every morning to something new that’s happening. I just want to keep working hard, writing music that means I get to do what I love. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
Releasing her second single, “chorus”, at the end of November, Maple’s Pet Dinosaur doubled down in terms of sound and attitude, the alternative rock love letter tapping into the catchy side of Maple’s songwriting and delivery.
As an indicator of what’s still to come from the young artist, Maple describes “chorus” as being in line with the type of sound she wants to follow.
“I’ve been writing a lot of music recently and ‘chorus’ is definitely one of the heavier riffs, but the lyrics are much more melodic” she says. “That’s the vibe and genre I’m going for. I’m going to keep writing stuff like that, writing about personal experiences that I’ve gone through.”
Growing up performing in musical theatre, Maple’s entry to music as a lover of the form and a burgeoning artist herself was through the intense and angsty notes of artists including Faith No More, Beastie Boys, Deftones, and Paramore.
Meeting her bandmates either at school or via friends, Maple’s sound has the clear DNA of her influences threaded through, but it’s in her authentic stage presence and delivery that makes her a knockout.
Being surrounded by people who genuinely care and support the journey she’s on has made all the difference.
“It’s so much fun being able to be in a band with your friends,” Maple says. “We are all doing what we love and it’s cool to be able to share that with people, and have them be part of it.
“I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a kid, so it’s crazy that I get to finally experience everything. Being able to be here is amazing, I’m so grateful for everything.”
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With Good Things giving Maple her first taste of Australian festival stages, it won’t be long until she’s back on them to continue sharpening her teeth as a performer. Crowds at the iconic Woodford Folk Festival as well as Darwin’s Bassinthegrass will be able to experience Maple’s Pet Dinosaur, and get to know her a little better as a result.
“When I wrote ‘lego’, I was contemplating whether or not to even release it,” she admits. “I knew I was going to get made fun of for it. There would be people who knew it was about them. I knew, for myself, that if there was a song that I could listen to [back then]… it would really help me.
“Once I released the song and saw how many people I’m helping and how much of a positive effect it has had on people, it made it a lot easier to release and play music. You’re always going to have people thinking negatively about the things you do. I’m very happy in myself, knowing that I’ve worked so hard to get where I am. Music was always a thing that would help me get through things, it’s cool that I might get to be that artist for some people.”
