This hardcore/metalcore band from Melbourne is totally psyched up to showcase some of their new material on stage. Fresh out of round one and onto the semi finals of Emergenza Festival Australia this Thursday, July 31st at The Espy, Rejuvenate has already come a long way from the start. Not just new tunes, but a command of the stage and a growing precision in their sound and how they see themselves as artists. You won't want to miss this band! While you're waiting for them to hit the stage, check out our pre-show interview with Rejuvenate.

FOR THOSE WHO DIDN’T GET TO SEE YOU IN THE FIRST ROUND, CAN YOU INTRODUCE US TO YOUR BAND REJUVENATE?
Rejuvenate is a five-piece post-hardcore/metalcore band from the North/West suburbs of Melbourne. We’re commonly referred to as the ‘multicultural misfits’ because of our extremely different backgrounds and the fact that we don’t exactly fit the stereotype of your average tattooed, rebellious band in the metalcore scene. Our sound in the past could be described as slightly rocky with old-school hardcore breakdowns; however, we are verging towards a darker sound, breathing depth and dynamics into metal.

WHAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE FIRST ROUND FOR YOU?
Playing the first round at The Espy Basement was amazing—we all really enjoyed the show and had a lot of fun on stage. The highlight would have to be meeting other bands and playing alongside other genres we would never normally play with. The vibe from the crowd that night was also another highlight. It’s such a great feeling to be playing original music and watching people throw down to it—our friend Matt in Renegade Armada almost knocked out our vocalist Tom with his crazy moves.

OUT OF ALL THE SONGS YOU PLAYED, WHICH ONE GOT THE BIGGEST REACTION OUT OF THE CROWD AND WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?
The song that always gets the most reaction out of the crowd would have to be “Dr. Chunder”. It’s always our last song of the set—we love to end with a bang. “Dr. Chunder” contrasts Taylar’s charisma and melodies with Tom’s heaviness and gutturals. It definitely gets the crowd going as its main message is to keep fighting no matter what life throws at you, which is definitely a message you want to take home and take to heart. With its crazy fast breakdowns and catchy chorus “Dr. Chunder” undeniably gets the biggest reaction at a Rejuvenate show.

CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE FIRST ROUND AND WHAT YOU LEARNED FROM IT?
The first round was exciting, nerve-racking, fun and very different from any other shows we’ve played before. First of all, we’ve never been involved with an agency or competition that is so organized—it really takes the stress off the musicians to know how well structured and well run the show will be. Also, we’ve never played alongside other artists and bands that are vastly different to our sound—it was great to see the same crowd get involved in every genre. We’ve definitely learned to connect with the audience and put on a show based on the vibe we’re receiving. Sometimes we’ll get an appreciative, chilled vibe—where people are wanting to just sit back and enjoy the music—and other times we’ll get a crazy, energetic vibe—where people are ready to put a hole in the floor and throw down to some breakdowns. So it’s definitely taken a lot of experience to adapt to the crowd we’re putting on a show for. We’re very excited to see where the semi-finals take us—we’re ready for anything!

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO BETWEEN GIGS AND WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING TO PREPARE FOR THE NEXT PHASE OF THE COMPETITION?
We've actually been enjoying each other's company. Tom got better at drawing kittens on the whiteboard, and we've started writing some new songs. We see the next gig as an opportunity to showcase our new material, but also to show fans how far we've come! Taylar has been working really hard to boost our social media. Justin recently outsourced our band logo on Fiverr and got a killer band logo from an Indonesian designer for $5. All of you that need band designs done, go to Fiverr! Musically, we've been focusing on a tighter sound, so naturally we have added more noise gate and ghost notes. Dylan and Tom have taken more of the lead the last two songs, and Goddy's taken the lead by getting us to play to a click. All in all, we're growing as a family, and see this as only the beginning of something fantastic. If you're intrigued, check us out, and say Rejuvenate at the door! What do our new songs sound like? You be the judge!

SO HOW DOES IT FEEL BEING ONE STEP CLOSER TO THE EMERGENZA FINALS?
Bizarre. We were just discussing at last practice that we have been playing live for one year! We literally cannot contain our excitement. And we'll talk about possibilities of playing in Sydney and Germany when we cross that bridge. Before we finish, we do have to acknowledge the initiative Emergenza has taken in ensuring that we play in front of you guys, and would like to thank Rhys and Megan in particular to be able to reach this far in the competition. This network is all we could ever ask for, and this next step is all thanks to them! If you love us, please come down and vote for us to play at the Hi-Fi. We’ve always wanted to play there ever since the Getaway Plan did their farewell tour there.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR UPCOMING CONCERT AT THE ESPY?
A newfound sense of confidence. We grow with each show—gaining more experience, more fans and more inspiration. We also bring positive energy and gratitude to the stage by engaging with our crowd, we’d also love to chat with all you bands that are playing with us. If we garner enough support to make it to the next round—well that’s just a bonus on everything we’ve gained from Emergenza so far!

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