Paula Pajusaar crowned the winner of ADM Band Competition 2024
The ADM Band Competition of 2024 was won by Paula Pajusaar under the artist name Poolring with her EP “DOJO”. The EP will be available on streaming platforms in mid-December 2024 and released on vinyl at the beginning of 2025.
This year, ADM’s band competition brought an exceptional experience for both participants and the jury. While the number of entries didn’t set a new record, the quality was truly outstanding, making the judging process more challenging than ever. Beyond the quality of songwriting, production, vocals, and instrumental performance, the jury also considered each artist’s achievements to date, as well as the potential impact that winning ADM’s band competition could have in advancing their careers. This approach underscored the competition’s dedication not only to celebrating talent but to supporting artists’ growth.
As a result of a thorough process, our jury members unanimously arrived at our gifted winner: Paula Pajusaar under the artist name Poolring.
Riho Pihelpuu, the CEO of ADM and the competition’s initiator, leader, and jury member, said, “Having followed Paula’s work before, her demo stood out to me for introducing a fresh and intriguing direction that I hadn’t seen from this artist before. Each track kept me captivated, and full of surprises. I could easily imagine myself wanting to flip the vinyl to hear the B-side after finishing the first tracks, eager to see what surprises were in store. For me, it had a great mix of relentless energy, strong beats, melodies, and rhyme.”
Paula Pajusaar is a co-founder of the band Minimal Wind, a producer, songwriter, and guitarist. “Lately, I find that my calling as an artist is simply to take part in the play of creating good art. Among all possible directions in the music landscape, my greatest wish is to revive the sense of playfulness and magic familiar from childhood, creating a shared moment for emotional expression.”
Hendrek Kraavi the COO of ADM, a fanatic of both food and music and a long-time jury member of the competition, also saw the playfulness in Paula’s creation, saying “Often when a chef who owns her restaurant goes on an exciting trip abroad, new dishes appear on the menu. These dishes bear the chef’s signature style but also show a clear new influence. When the chef is top-notch, such a surprise is refreshing and positive for the guests. Paula Pajusaar has firmly proven to be a top young chef who has just created a new menu. Her skill in crafting good pop melodies and her background in guitar and indie genre serve as the base to which she has added fresh trap sounds and the rhythm of Ibiza dancefloor bangers. Her attention to rhythmic details and the use of guitar in her tracks is thoroughly enjoyable. But, for me, the main key to success is the courage and playful spirit that shine through in the songs’ lyrics, vocals, and composition. It’s a very pleasant, fresh, and energetic mix, where every track has hit potential in my view.”
The songs on the EP are part of a larger world of Poolring. This summer, Paula started writing a book. “Interestingly, the album’s music is shaping the book’s characters and their backgrounds, not the other way around. While Poolring’s first EP was dedicated to dragons, this album tells a story of ice elves —training camps, power struggles, and fantastical creatures.”
Paula was influenced and inspired by fellow musicians and friends during the creation process: “My kindred spirit, Taavi-Hans Kõlar, has contributed to most tracks, either musically or simply as an inspiring person. The production of the track “KAOS” was boosted by a fellow schoolmate and producer, Jakop Kaarma, whose feedback was so valuable that many of his ideas made it into the song. José Diogo Neves handles the mixing and mastering. And honestly, anyone who has listened to the tracks and shared their thoughts—every piece of feedback helps!”
Paula said the ADM competition is an excellent opportunity and challenge for a songwriter. “I’ve participated before, but this year, I feel my experience has grown significantly, and creating art has become much more fulfilling for me.” We hope this inspires other musicians who didn’t make it this year to keep striving and not give up on their creative journey!
The next ADM Band Competition is scheduled for the fall of 2025.
The competition began in 2009, stemming from ADM CEO Riho Pihelpuu’s deep passion for music and his commitment to supporting Estonian music and contributing to its growth. Over the years, many now well-known artists such as Mariin Kallikorm, Onkel Jonkel, Elisabeth Tiffany Lepik, Erki Pärnoja, Sander Mölder, Kelly Vask, Maris Pihlap, OOPUS, and others have emerged as winners of the ADM Band Competition.