Pursuing passion

Jazz singer-songwriter Zhang Ying, one of the judges of the 2017 contest, says she was impressed by the young bands' diversity and their wide musical influences.

Unlike traditional rock bands, which are known for pouring out their anger and sharp views on social issues through their music, the young bands embrace themes of personal emotion as a way of addressing their authenticity and musical style, says Zhang, who is teaching in the music department of the Communication University of China.

"Earning a living as a rock band used to be a challenge. But it's no longer a problem now," says Liu Yujie, lead vocalist of pop-rock band, Monkey Legion, based in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province. The band won the contest in 2012.

In 2016, Monkey Legion performed on the stage of Japan's Summer Sonic music festival, the largest event of its kind in Asia. Last September, the band signed a contract with Beijing Midi Music Media and it is ready to release a debut album this year.

"We are open to various options and music is one of them," says Liu, 31, who learned martial arts as a child and graduated from Chengdu Sports Institute. His father bought him a guitar when Liu fell in love with rock music in middle school and he practiced for an hour before heading to school every morning.

The other band members, including guitarist Chang Xiangyu and drummer Yang Rui, all graduated from the Sichuan Conservatory of Music and have other jobs, such as opening a music training school and practicing architecture. Liu himself owns a martial arts training school in Chengdu.

"For us, forming a band in college was about our passion. The process of writing a song and performing it onstage is still very exciting," says Liu.