Members of rock band Bark Like a Dog let out a little yelp when they were named one of six secondary school bands selected to compete in the national final of Smokefreerockquest next month.
Lead guitarist of the Taieri College band, Alex Cochrane, said there was a mix of shock and surprise at the news.
''We didn't really expect to get anywhere with it. We just did it for fun.''
It seems the only people not surprised by their selection were their fans.
''That was also a bit of a surprise.
''We're just making music that we like, just expressing ourselves, and I guess people seem to like it.''
This year's Smokefreerockquest attracted more than 800 bands and solo/duos who went through regional heats and finals in 20 venues, from Invercargill to Whangarei.
Alex said the band was excited about reaching the national final in Auckland on September 22 because it had the potential to open a lot of career doors for them.
''It's a pretty big deal for us,'' Alex said.
''We've been playing together since year 7 and it's always been the thing to see these great bands reach the national final and then go on to have a career in the music industry.
''And now that we're in it ... it's quite shocking for us.''
Over the past 30 years, the competition has helped artists such as OpShop, Evermore, Broods, Marlon Williams, Brooke Fraser, Nadia Reid and more recently Alien Weaponry go on to become professional recording artists.
Alex was pleased to see Verdon College pupil Sam Cullen, of Invercargill, representing the South as one of three solo/duo performers in the national final, because the competition was traditionally dominated by North Island artists.
''It's really cool that it's not only us from down here.''
Other band finalists are Silvera (Lynfield College, Westlake Boys' High School, Auckland Grammar and Katikati College), Bad Dog (Avondale College), Mit Eldnar (Manurewa High School), Suggested Serving Size (Te Awamutu College), and Smokey Blokes (St Oran's College, Chilton St James School and Hutt Valley High School); and the other solo/duo finalists are Gretel Donnelly (Rangitoto College) and Estella Romagnoli (Nelson College for Girls).
