This Sydney band is redefining the possibilities of a two piece, exploring the hard rock grooves of inspirational bands like The Melvins and Fugazi. In this pre-show interview with the band RISK Assessment talks about what motivates them as musicians and what drew them to play Emergenza Festival Australia this year. Make sure to catch them on stage at The Lair next Friday, July 18th.

HOW DOES THE NAME RISK ASSESSMENT EPITOMIZE YOUR BAND?
It has two parts to it; it's unique and it describes the skills that both Curtis and I employ in our jobs as a social worker and surveyor.

WHO PLAYS WHAT IN THE BAND AND WHAT KEEPS YOU INSPIRED TO PLAY MUSIC TOGETHER?
Curtis Smeaton plays guitar and sings, and I play drums, provide back-up vocals and add samples to piece the tracks together. Curtis and I played in a band together prior to RISK Assessment, and are inspired to simply make music we would like to hear. We work hard, practice often and try our best to explore various genres and push the limits of a two-piece band.

WHERE DO YOU PULL INSPIRATION FOR YOUR ECLECTIC SOUND?
Heaps of artists including: Refused, Battles, Melvins, Frodus, Fugazi to name a few.

IF YOU COULD DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND IN THREE WORDS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
Dynamic, emotive and skilled.

WHAT'S THE CRAZIEST THING YOU'VE DONE TOGETHER AS A BAND?
We once stayed up until 1 o'clock in the morning!

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST ABOUT YOUR SHOW AT THE LAIR?
The venue for one—crisp sound and great feel to the place. We are also looking forward to sharing our sound with new fans and seeing the other bands strut their stuff. Also, doesn't hurt to be part of something as big and professional as the festival itself.

WITH OTHER BATTLE OF THE BANDS COMPETITIONS AROUND, WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE EMERGENZA?
Simple—great reputation. Says a lot about a festival when young people are talking about it and it is played all over the world.

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