I recently had the opportunity to catch up with Shadows at Play, a multi-instrumental four-piece band who competed in the Australian national final in December. Aside from being incredible musicians with a unique, smooth sound, they are also genuinely nice guys. They took the time to share their experience with me; despite the fact their East Coast tour starts this week. I recommend every reader and Emergenza fan to take the time to listen to their music.

YOU GUYS RECENTLY PLAYED IN THE AUSTRALIAN FINAL AT THE METRO THEATRE IN SYDNEY, COULD YOU TRY TO PUT INTO WORDS WHAT IT WAS LIKE PLAYING AT SUCH A LEGENDARY VENUE?
It was a great opportunity for us to play at the Metro, all the bands that we like have played at the Metro at sometime during their career and to be able to play on the same stage as them was incredible. The Metro is one of the best venues in Sydney and to play in front of a packed crowd is something we won't forget.

WHAT WAS THE ATMOSPHERE LIKE BEHIND THE SCENES WITH YOUR FELLOW COMPETITORS? FROM A NETWORKING STANDPOINT, DID YOU MAKE ANY USEFUL CONNECTIONS THROUGH THE COMPETITION?
While we were waiting for our sound check listening to the other bands we knew that the quality of the music was at a very high standard. Waiting back stage was a nerve-racking experience. The excitement of being on the stage but also to realise the importance of the show. To deliver your best show in under twenty minutes can create some pressure. We certainly made friends with many of the bands and are hoping to do some shows with them in the future.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE YOU, AS A BAND, HAVE NOTICED ABOUT YOURSELF SINCE COMPETING IN THE EMERGENZA FESTIVAL?
Our stage presence improved for the final. We received constructive criticism throughout the whole competition and stage presence was a continual issue for us, but we feel we dramatically improved on that for the Metro. We worked hard on our stage presence, which still continues to improve.

MAKING IT ALL THE WAY TO THE FINAL IS QUITE THE ACCOMPLISHMENT, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY WAS YOUR KEY TO SUCCESS?
People turning up to listen and support us. It's the same old line 'we wouldn't be here without them and it's true'. How far you go in this competition is up to you. We tried our best at every gig to get people along to support us, which gave us the best possible chance of winning. Obviously playing music that people enjoy helps a great deal, we have very loyal friends and family who always support us.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR NEW BANDS CONSIDERING PARTICIPATING IN THE FESTIVAL?
Don't be afraid to try different things, to be the band outside the box. There are a lot of bands competing in this competition so it's important to have an aspect of your band that sticks out and makes the judges remember your act. This could involve having a memorable stage presence, incredible songs with interesting lyrics, or just being a great performer.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY HAS BEEN THE MOST REWARDING PART OF YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH EMERGENZA?
Playing with some quality bands on some great stages. We wouldn't be able to play at those venues if it wasn't for this competition. We have made friends with various bands and got exposed to the music scene that is developing in Sydney/NSW.

I SAW THAT YOU GUYS RELEASED AN EP IN SEPTEMBER, WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR 2013?
Our plans for 2013 are writing some new material, touring the east coast of Australia, and hopefully recording some new songs.