These young indie rockers from Melbourne went from playing their first ever gig to making it into the Emergenza Festival Australia semi finals in one fell swoop. Come check out the Weekenders when they go head to head with seven other local bands at The Espy Gershwin Room this Thursday, July 31st. In the meantime, check out what they band had to say to us before the show.

FOR THOSE WHO DIDN’T GET TO SEE YOU IN THE FIRST ROUND, CAN YOU INTRODUCE US TO YOUR BAND WEEKENDERS?
There are so many different characters and personalities that make up Weekenders. Nic McNamara is the diva, Jonte Antonino the punk rocker, Blake "ladies man" Lica the playboy, Abbie McNamara the psycho and Stav (yes, I know you are all guessing he is Greek and single and needs a green card).

WHAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE FIRST ROUND FOR YOU?
The first round was actually our first official gig. The highlight of the first round for us was seeing what people thought of our music. The crowd was fantastic, which made it so fun for us to play.

OUT OF ALL THE SONGS YOU PLAYED, WHICH ONE GOT THE BIGGEST REACTION OUT OF THE CROWD AND WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?
Definitely “The Stalker Song”. It has been a crowd favourite from day one when we recorded our demo. It's an upbeat and catchy song, and everyone seems to love it!

CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE FIRST ROUND AND WHAT YOU LEARNED FROM IT?
Yes, Blake wore a fedora. He taught us how to be euphoric.

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO BETWEEN GIGS AND WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING TO PREPARE FOR THE NEXT PHASE OF THE COMPETITION?
Firstly, there has been no signs of Blake slowing down; Jonte has rejected an offer to join Blink 182; no, Abbie hasn't killed anyone yet; Stav is still in hiding in fear of being deported; Nic is crying every night and during all this commotion we have practiced a few times.

SO HOW DOES IT FEEL BEING ONE STEP CLOSER TO THE EMERGENZA FINALS?
Euphoric.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR UPCOMING CONCERT AT THE ESPY?
Experience in how to market a gig, hopefully some new friends, and a wife for Stav.

For more details on the show at The Espy, July 31st, click here.