Papamoa students Rock Per Minute

From left to right: Rory Priest, Ben Guernier, Jake Nicholas and Cormac Seymour.

The 2008 Nick Rocks competition has been taken out by RPM (Rock Per Minute) from Tahatai Coast School in Papamoa, Bay of Plenty.

Fiercely determined to win, RPM was a finalist in the 2007 Nick Rocks competition and came back in 2008 with a hit single entitled Second Chance that simply blew away the judges and the voting public.

Inspired by bands and artists such as the Foo Fighters, ElemenoP, North Mississippi Allstars and Opshop, RPM describe their style as a fusion of Rock, Pop and Blues.

“We play a lot of music, but our favourites are rock and pop, and we write our own songs,” says Rory Priest, RPM’s drummer.

Forming back in 2006 after a Tahatai Coast School band audition, the band is no stranger to success and popularity. They have performed in public at the Mt Maunganui busking festival, school assemblies, church concerts and even their music teacher’s wedding!

“The efforts gone to by the band members themselves along with their parents, music teacher and entire community is just overwhelmingly impressive,” says Danielle Knight of Nickelodeon.

“Along with a hit single, these guys have really put the hours in to marketing themselves and their band to their community and the voting public. A winning combination for any rock band!”

Aged between 10 and 12 years, the four band members are reportedly extremely excited and can’t wait for their very own music video to be filmed and produced.

Jake, Cormac, Rory and Ben are also pretty relieved that their twice-weekly practices have thus far paid off.

“We’ve practised heaps so we were really excited to win – really happy and glad,” says Jake the band’s lead vocalist.

“When I found out that we’d won I jumped on the couch and went YEAHHH!”

Their ambitions for the future include opening for The Foo Fighters one day and having their own private jet and stretch limo.