Band tunes into fame with competition win and prepares to tour nationwide after its debut album release.

Fame never tastes as good as the first time it is sampled. That initial experience lingers, and by definition can never be repeated. Jiulian Zhenren, a four-piece rock band from Lianping county, Guangdong province, had their first taste of fame on a cold night on Nov 10, 2018. As a harsh wind blew outside they played up a storm to win the Original Band Contest, co-organized by leading music streaming platform Xiami and Taiwan-based Rock Records.

The fans inside the packed hall were raising the roof as the band delivered original and passionate songs and lyrics. Named after Jiulian Mountain, a natural landmark of their hometown, the band sang in the local Hakka dialect. Fans were still able to absorb the meanings of the songs, as the emotion of the band resonated with the audience.

"When I saw the band perform onstage, the band members were young and their eyes were bright as if lit with fire," says veteran promoter Huang Liaoyuan, who emerged from retirement to help the group to launch their career. He adds that he "had not seen that kind of courage, passion and eagerness for rock music for many years".

Two years on, the band is set to release its debut album, Amin, on Dec 25. The first song from the new album, titled Teen Spirit, was released on Nov 10, the same date that the band was crowned champion of the contest in 2018.

"It's amazing to look back on the past two years and to think about how far we've come," says lead vocalist-guitarist Ouyang Haopeng, 28, better known as Along among the fans, adding that they are "still digesting and trying to keep up with the pace" as it has all happened so fast. Ouyang and other band members-trumpeter-vocalist Mai Haipeng (better known as Amai), bassist Ye Wanli (better known as Wanli) and drummer Li Lei (better known as Chuimi)-were interviewed by China Daily at leading music company Modern Sky, where they recorded the songs from their debut album.