Nobody was more surprised than For Years Blue when they were declared 2007's Sound Off! champions last Saturday night at the EMP Sky Church. The Spokane septet looked absolutely shocked when 107.7 The End's Harms called their name as victors—one band member even fell to his knees.

"None of us were expecting to win," says 18-year-old Erik Walters, the band's bassist and singer. "None of us expected to make the finals for that matter. We were all just grateful and excited to be given the opportunity to play at Sound Off! The whole experience didn't really feel like a competition because everyone at Sound Off!—the sound engineers and especially all the bands—were so supportive of each other. It was incredible."

For Years Blue's sound is ambitious, especially for a young band of 16- to 19-year-old musicians. Their instrumentation boasts violins, keyboards, electric and acoustic bass and guitar, and more. Like a lot of their influences (the Decemberists, Wilco, the Flaming Lips, and Built to Spill) their songs are lush portrayals of mixed emotions. While their onstage vibe is mellow and demure, their mini-orchestra is dynamic and sweeping.

The band's EP, Linus, is available for sale at their shows, but unfortunately all their upcoming gigs are on the other side of the mountains in their hometown of Spokane. They hope their Sound Off! exposure and experience paves the way for some Seattle gigs. As for other future plans, the band is still too busy glowing from their victory to talk about anything concrete.

"We're just going to take things as they come," Walters says. "We've talked about the future of the band a lot, especially in these past few months, so we've got plans, but none of them are for sure. It would be fantastic to release a full-length, but we haven't finalized anything yet. We're still getting over the shock of winning."

Natalie Portman's Shaved Head, who came in second place, walked away with the "Audience Favorite" title. As the only Seattle band on the bill (the second runner-up, the Army Corps of Architects, are from Bainbridge Island), they had the most support and the loudest fans.

For Years Blue have a sound that's a bit more elaborate than NPSH's lo-fi, upbeat electronic dance party, but the Seattle quartet put on a hell of a show in their own right. Wearing sweatbands and fluorescent colors, they rocked synchronized dance moves and engaged the crowd with cocky enthusiasm. Overall, it was the most entertaining performance of the night. They may not have gone home champions, but as the audience-voted favorites, they did walk away with free Zunes. Even without the Sound Off! title, I predict they'll do just fine.

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