The creative energy was palpable in the recording studio of the Fine Arts building.

"I've been trying to write a lot of new stuff for [Sound Off!] so we're not too stale," said John O'Connor, guitarist/vocalist of local band Feet. "It kind of shows that we're trying to do something—" "—rather than sit on the same songs," Spencer Miller, bassist, finished his sentence.

Miller and O'Connor are Seattle University students in Feet and will be competing in Sound Off! 2012, Experience Music Project's annual under-21 battle of the bands and a staple event for the Northwest's local music scene. The duo make up half of the band, while the other half are current University of Washington students.

"This new song we're recording sounds very Cure-y," Miller said, citing the band influential to 1980s New Wave as he quirkily fiddled with the neck of his bass.

They are aiming for their "Cure-y" sounding song to hit the Internet before Feet's Sound Off! semi-final performance on Feb. 25. Feet applied for the music competition with the songs "Lucky Charms," "Couch Surf Nation," "Members of the Universe" and "White Girl," but they want this new song to be ready to perform so they can stay fresh.

It could be said that fresh is a word well-associated with the band as they make a conscious effort to subvert the confines of the indie rock genre.

"I don't like things that are very straightforward when song writing," O'Connor said. "I like really unconventional structures.... you wouldn't be able to say ‘Oh, verse-chorus-verse-chorus.' It's not random, it has a purpose but it's unusual."

This emphasis on uniqueness earned Feet a slot in the Sound-Off! lineup and it is also possibly their edge over the competition.

"One of the things that struck the listening panel was that they were doing indie rock — a genre that is over-saturated — and Feet was creating something unique and quintessentially Northwest," said Jessi Reed, public programming coordinator for the EMP and producer of Sound Off! 2012. It is her third year working behind-the-scenes of the competition.

Sound Off! is known for the success that potentially follows from a performance as a semi-finalist. Bands get to network with each other, bring in new fans and get some media coverage while the competition is in season. The event's website lists some notable alumni, boasting names such as The Lonely Forest, Dyme Def, The Globes, New Faces, The Lonely H, Sol, Schoolyard Heroes, and Brite Futures (formerly Natalie Portman's Shaved Head). This year's first prize includes a performance slot at Bumbershoot 2012, a live on-air radio performance, gear, studio time and music industry consultation.

Reed emphasized that success at Sound Off! doesn't come from winning, it comes from what bands do after performing that creates success.

"Sound Off! isn't going to make you famous per se," Reed said, "but if you're willing to work hard it can be a launching pad for your band."

Miller and O'Connor echoed this "winning isn't everything" attitude.

"As a band we understand that Sound Off! isn't the end of all ends.... It's just a good networking thing that can definitely get you some good connections with other bands and other professionals in the industry and we're not really too concerned with winning," O'Connor said.

"It's just the experience of ‘Hey, you play an awesome show with a bunch of people where you can possibly win some prizes.' If you do get in the final you can possibly play Bumbershoot but it's really not about that. It's really about the community building that goes on," said Miller.

Sound Off! semi-finals are Feb. 11, 18 and 25 with finals on March 3. Tickets go on sale Jan. 18 at www.empmuseum.org.

Rosalie may be reached at rcabison@su-spectator.com