Timaru Boys' High School band These Dancing Wolves overcame high expectations and a tight songwriting deadline to win the Smokefreerockquest Timaru regional title.
Only 24 hours before competing against nine other bands at the concert in the Caroline Bay Hall last Friday night, year 13 pupils James Gibb, Isaac McFarlane, and Kieran Ormandy (all 17) only had one song of their two-song set written.
However, the trio must respond well to pressure; a melody was produced the night before, the lyrics followed in the morning, and the resulting song, This is Vietnam, won the Lowdown Best Song Award.
Pressure on the trio to perform well came from their success last year when, as members of four-piece band New York Minutes, they came third in the national finals.
However, James said the greatest expectations on the ‘‘three perfectionists'' came from within, and they had moved on from last year - hence the change of band name.
‘‘While we acknowledge [last year's success] we don't want it hanging over our heads,'' James said.
In the year since, they had developed a more distinctive sound that helped them stand out from the crowd.
‘‘Our sound is quite experimental - it's ambient dance music with big beats.
‘‘We have to keep it tight as we play with the backing of a loop track recorded live on stage,'' James said.
Now competing in Smokefreerockquest for the third year, they had the confidence to discard ideas that didn't fit their style, he said.
‘‘We are quite adamant about writing the best songs we can.''
With another Timaru Boys' High School band, The Kinetix, finishing second, the school continued its fine record in the competition.
It also fielded four of the 10 bands taking part.
Last year, on top of New York Minutes' national success, another band from the school, No Indication, won the Timaru regional final for the third consecutive year and was ranked in the top 12 nationally.
James said that success, and the mentoring that older pupils had provided to younger pupils, was creating feedback.
‘‘There is quite a surge of young bands coming through,'' he said.
These Dancing Wolves and The Kinetix won musical equipment, and now go on to compete for one of the six finalist spots in the national final in Auckland on September 19.
They will be joined by Oamaru band The Hazard, made up of pupils from St Kevin's College and Waitaki Boys' High School, which won the Smokefree People's Choice, selected by text vote at the event.
They are among 60 bands throughout the country that must make videos of themselves playing original music.
The bands are made up of the first and second place-getters and Smokefree People's Choice winners from the 26 regional finals.
The winner of the national final will win prizes that include musical equipment worth $10,000, audio and video-recording sessions, radio airplay and promotion.