From Logan Park High School, guitarist/vocalist Max Garden, drummer Robbie Motion and bassist Andrew Hopkins came together from the remnants of prior bands Bullet Bill and Clangers, and released their first single Impression Of V?.?N. Probe in April this year.
Meeting the trio on a Wednesday afternoon straight after school for the band's first interview, the three are causal and quiet as we talk through some of their impressive achievements, the likes of which include opening for Die! Die! Die! on their last New Zealand tour, and racking up a bunch of airplay on local bNet station Radio One.
With all three members still under 18, Motion, who sidelines as a talented designer and artist, says the gigging opportunities provided by the Amped project are it's biggest strength.
''There's good flow-on effects from doing something like Amped.''
Hopkins adds: ''It's a good way to find similar bands, and hopefully continue a gigging relationship past Amped.''
Aside from performing, the band is currently working on recording an album at the Shed, a sometime gig/rehearsal space that Motion runs from his parents' yard.
Working with only a handful of microphones, the tracks are still somewhat lo-fi, as evidenced by new single Stares at TV set, Flickering.
Much like Impression Of V?.?N. Probe, Flickering combines hyperactive Pixies-style guitar leads and a post-punk rhythm section straight out of Public Image Ltd's Metal Box.
It's jammy, repetitive, and infectiously catchy - an aesthetic that makes perfect sense when I quiz the band about their songwriting process.
''We kinda just go with the flow,'' Motion says.
''Usually Max or Andrew will just come up with an idea, and over time it'll slowly change.''
With all three planning to study at Otago next year, there should be plenty to come for the band. Watch this space.
Also performing tonight at Taste Merchants is 16-year-old beatmaker and electronic producer Gasp.
At such a young age, the Mosgiel resident Gasp, aka Eden Lee Burns, has caught the attention of management, and secured an opening spot at Rhythm and Alps, the South Island baby brother to New Zealand's biggest NYE party Rhythm and Vines.
Switching between tropical sounds and more trap-orient work, Gasp's style is hook-heavy and groovy.
Be there
Amped Music Project 2013 - Gig 2 featuring Not From Space, Gasp, Agent Ewok, Sherry Sim and Drowning Priest, tonight at Taste Merchants (Lower Stuart St). Doors open at 7pm. Music start at 7.10pm. Free entry, all ages and alcohol free.
Check out Not From Space online: facebook.com/NotFromSpaceAmped is a project of the Dunedin Fringe Arts Trust, and is presented with the support of Independent Music New Zealand, the Creative Communities Scheme and the Health Promotion Agency.
