HEAVY HITTERS: Whanganui bands Drones have made a name for themselves in their first year. PHOTO/ SUPPLIED
Whanganui band Drones have earned a place in the regional final of Battle of the Bands.
The four-piece will be playing for a shot at the national stage, where the winner earns an all-expenses-paid European tour.
Drones formed about a year ago out of a jam session which had been a while coming.
"We'd been talking about it for ages but it just didn't happen," drummer Ethan Coleman said.
The four all grew up in Whanganui and after getting together began writing music immediately.
The band's metalcore sound has developed over the months into a more clean, atmospheric sound.
"The two kind of blended."
It's instrumental music at the moment, but the band have plans to add in a vocalist in the future.
"It's kind of all based around Isaac," rhythm guitarist Adam Robinson said.
"He'll come up with the guitar part and we'll base it off that.
"We just started writing originals from the start and by October we had half an hour worth of originals."
Last October the band competed in Mint Cafe and Bar's Rocktoberfest, making it to the final before finishing runner-up.
A week later they played at the now defunct Space Monster.
Drones have also recorded their first single, called caged, at The Stomach in Palmerston North, and plan to release a video to go along with it later in the year.
The band were looking forward to the regional Battle of the Bands final and were after support from Whanganui music fans.
"Hopes are always high but we're happy to just play," Robinson said.
Coleman said: "That's kind of the reason for going into this competition. You make a lot of connections with a lot of other bands. The more people who support the Whanganui band the better."
The regional Battle of the Bands final is on July 8 at The Royal in Palmerston North.
“Relying on overseas doctors to fill our rural workforce gaps is not sustainable."