The guys in Burnside are no strangers to the stage. Performing live together for about five years now, they are totally in tune with one another and really know how to put on a spectacular rock and roll show. Before they go on stage at The Lair for round one of Emergenza Festival Australia next Friday, July 18th the band sits down to talk to us about themselves, their sound, and what’s in store for the upcoming gig.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE NAME BURNSIDE?
I think we were looking something up online while we were in the studio recording our album and we just stumbled across the word and we loved the way it sounded. So from that day forth we were Burnside.

HOW HAS PLAYING TOGETHER FOR SO MANY YEARS HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE BAND DYNAMIC?
It's great because we're now at the point where we don't really have to verbally communicate while songwriting. We just know where we want to take the song. It's also very handy when we're playing live as it helps us take the performance to the next level.

IF YOU COULD DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND IN THREE WORDS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
Atmosphere. Melody. Rock.

WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR MAJOR MUSICAL INFLUENCES?
Too many to list but we'd have to go with classics like The Beatles for their insane ability to write a melody. Linkin Park for the way they mix heavy guitars with modern synth style sound. Foo Fighters for their epic live shows and Guns N' Roses just because they're awesome.

WHAT'S THE CRAZIEST THING YOU'VE DONE TOGETHER AS A BAND?
Play in front of a massive crowd in Germany… Oh wait… That hasn't happened… Yet…

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST ABOUT YOUR SHOW AT THE LAIR?
Getting the opportunity to play our songs in front of a bunch of new people and getting the whole room bouncing.

WITH OTHER BATTLE OF THE BANDS COMPETITIONS AROUND, WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE EMERGENZA?
We normally try to stay away from band comps because they always seem a bit dodgy. However we really like the look of Emergenza because it offers so much for up and coming bands even if you don't end up winning. At the end of the day it should be all about helping as many bands as possible get their start.

For more details on the show at The Lair @ The Metro Theatre in Sydney on July 18th, click here.