Derrival. The indie band from Langley also won a spot playing at Squamish Festival in 2013.
As an avid concert goer, I am one of many music junkies in Vancouver excited to attend the 2014 Peak Performance Project (#PPP2014) Finale on November 20th at the Commodore Ballroom. (Sorry minors!)
For those of you living under a rock (or if you just don’t listen to local indie music) the Peak Performance Project is an annual contest held by 102.7 The Peak FM radio station. It’s basically like a Battle of the Bands but with local talent from B.C. The winning band or artist gets a whopping $102,700. Second and third place receive $75,000 and $50,000 respectively.
With only a few days to go until the big day, I got in touch with the bands competing in the upcoming Finale to give Link readers a brief look on what show goers can expect to see at the Commodore. We’ll be bringing you a daily update!
In no particular order, the first band finalist is Derrival
For those who have no idea who you guys are, explain a bit about yourself?
Adam: We have been playing together for 5 years now, we play indie-synth rock and we’re currently all attending school in music and arts related programs including Arts & Entertainment Management, Public Relations and Music Production.
What was your immediate reaction when you heard the news?
Adam: I was with Shane, my girlfriend and my family all huddled around the radio and as soon as they announced us, the room exploded. My heart was pounding.
Dan: I was in class during a presentation and all of the sudden my phone went off like crazy and I slipped out of class and freaked out when my friend told me.
Deven: I was standing in my kitchen with my roommate and a salad and the salad flew everywhere.
Glen: I was in class writing a quiz listening to the radio in one earbud and when we were announced half the class cheered because they were listening in their earbuds too, it was pretty surreal.
What has been the greatest struggle for you guys as an up-and-coming band in Vancouver?
Shane: Credibility has been a big one for us, releasing a full-length album is something we’ve wanted to do for a while but didn’t necessarily have the means to do it.
Up until now, what has been the bands greatest accomplishment?
Adam: Getting in the top 3 for the Peak Performance Project has been incredible, it’s been something we’ve wanted to do since the project started and it’s crazy that we’ve been able to accomplish it the first year that we were eligible.
As one of the youngest bands in the competition, how did you feel competing against bands older than you guys?
Adam: It was definitely intimidating, but you learn from people who are more experienced than you and we’ve definitely learned a lot from the other bands in the project.
Did you expect to make it this far?
Deven: We felt like we gave everything our best shot but any of the bands in the project could have been in the top 3 so we consider ourselves really lucky.
What do you plan to do with the money?
Adam: Buy tons of Annie’s Mac and Cheese.
Deven: We’re planning to fund a full-length album that’s currently in the works as well as helping to cushion other costs with touring, music videos and that sort of thing.
If you guys weren’t in the top 3, which other bands do you think deserve a top spot?
Adam: It’s hard to say, every other band could have been in the top 3. The amount of commitment and hard work everyone put into this project was incredible.
What can Derrival fans expect to see in the future?
Adam: A lot of new sounds and exploration in electronic and synth sounds.
Glen: Bigger and more visually stimulating live shows.
Final thoughts? On anything the contest, the band, tips, advice, life, whatever?
Together: Derrival Rangers – Power up!
Good luck to Derrival! Check them out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep updated on the band’s status. I’ll be attending the Finale on Nov. 20 to give a recap of what went down, but those interested in checking out the music for themselves, tickets to the event are currently available online.
