2013 was a long, hard and very rewarding year for indie band Mercury White—they travelled from promoting their debut self-titled album, played against fierce competition in Emergenza Festival Australia, and throughout it all, the band’s indie pop wall of sound, as they call it, stayed strong. They came through with the win in the Australian national finals in Sydney and got the golden ticket to the Taubertal Open Air Festival where the international finals of Emergenza Festival take place every year. They’re set to hit the stage this weekend, where they’ll compete with the national finalists from all around the world—not to mention alongside big bands like Biffy Clyro and Jimmy Eat World who are on the bill for this year…. As they’re getting over their jet lag from the long journey to Germany and getting psyched up for the show, the band sits down to answer a few of our questions.

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO TAKE PART IN IT THE 2013/14 EDITION OF EMERGENZA FESTIVAL?
We decided to take part because we were interested in the opportunities Emergenza could give us. We were also very keen to have industry professionals and punters alike listen to our music and to hear their feedback.

AS YOU APPROACH THE WORLD FINAL, WHAT IS YOUR STATE OF MIND?
We are very excited to travel to Germany, share our music and to have the opportunity to perform on such an impressive stage. It is the first overseas trip for the band, which makes it all the more exciting.

WHERE SPECIFICALLY HAVE YOU IMPROVED THE MOST SINCE YOUR VERY FIRST EMERGENZA CONCERT?
Our live performances have improved dramatically, and we’ve been developing our show, managing to create an epic sound. We enjoy every minute of being on stage and that comes through to the audience.

WHAT’S BEHIND YOUR BAND’S NAME? ANY SPECIFIC MEANING?
Depends on which band member you ask! We were making a collage of planets and misspelt “Mercury” so we got some whiteout and…. well, that’s one story!

IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE A FAMOUS SONG THAT REPRESENTS YOUR BAND, WHICH ONE WOULD IT BE?
“Knights of Cydonia” by Muse. One of our favourite songs, but more importantly it’s meaning—teaching people to stand up for themselves and to create their own destiny.

WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES YOUR SOUND SIGNATURE?
Big electronic keyboards, large drums and Paul’s unique vocals.

WHAT CAN AUDIENCES EXPECT FROM ONE OF YOUR LIVE PERFORMANCES?
Plenty of energy and lots to see. A group of five friends having fun playing great music.

CAN YOU TELL US A FUNNY STORY OR ANECDOTE ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE ON STAGE?
There was the time at the Emergenza final in Sydney where the winner was announced but none of the bands heard “… and the winner is Mercury White!”

BEFORE YOU GO ON STAGE, DO YOU HAVE A RITUAL OR A GOOD LUCK CHARM THAT GOES EVERYWHERE WITH YOU?
Our bass player finds a quiet corner and has a 15-minute nap. It calms his nerves and gives him an energy boost. The other three guys drink beer and Tammy has a Pimm’s.

WHAT’S YOUR REHEARSAL AND RECORDING SPACE LIKE?
We are very lucky to have a great rehearsal room—The Band Booth in Dandenong (Victoria). We rehearse there once a week, and we all look forward to catching up, writing new songs in their new recording studio or rehearsing for live shows on their live room stage. We are very spoilt.

WHAT DO YOU GUYS DO WHEN YOU’RE NOT PLAYING MUSIC? DO YOU STILL HANG OUT TOGETHER?
We try to hang out together as much as possible, but we all live in different parts of Melbourne so it’s hard to see each other more than at rehearsals or gigs.

WHAT’S YOUR DREAM GIG?
We’d love to play Glastonbury, Reading or Leeds festivals in the UK, and we’d love to be support to Muse and Arcade Fire.

WHAT ARE YOUR SHORT TO MEDIUM TERM PLANS AFTER THE INTERNATIONAL FINAL?
We’ll have a three-track EP out in October, so we’ll be lining up shows and treading the boards to promote the EP.

WHAT QUESTION DID I FORGET? CAN YOU SUGGEST A QUESTION YOU WANT ME TO ASK?
What are your top five musical influences…?

WHY DO YOU THINK YOU DESERVE TO WIN THE 2014 FESTIVAL EDITION?
We’ve worked very hard to get to where we are, and we want to expand and grow our audiences and share our music—we want to make people happy when they listen to our music. We also believe we would be worthy representatives for Emergenza, as we travel the world sharing our passion.

Stay tuned to Emergenza.net for more news on the Emergenza World Finals!