Their band, Lawson, was one of 28 that battled it out in the Smokefreerockquest Otago heats on Saturday, but the only one from an intermediate school. Their efforts earned the Macandrew Intermediate School pupils one of 14 places in the regional finals in Dunedin next month.
"It is pretty cool," lead guitarist Rapture Faalavelave (11) said.
Forming just three weeks ago in response to a notice by teacher Greg MacLeod, the makeshift group of budding musicians were given the school holidays to come up with an original song.
Drummer Filo Tupai (12) penned the rock song, Just Say that You Love Me, but declined to elaborate on the lyrics to the Otago Daily Times.
"They have driven this project, and it is just amazing how quickly they have come together," Mr MacLeod said.
With just a few days of practice behind them, the band debuted in front of the school before performing in the smokefreerockquest heats at the Coronation Hall, Mosgiel, on Saturday.
"Once they got into it they really shone, these kids definitely have [a] shot in the final," he said.
The band would now work on doubling their original song repertoire for the June 6 finals where they could perform two songs, he said.
Of the more than 700 entries received each year, about 20 were from intermediate school bands.
