Perseverance has become a way of life for Mindset Evolution. The Peoria, IL quintet started fighting to be heard in 2005, and they haven't let up since. The band went from local stalwarts to national contenders as the winner of 2011's Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival "Battle of the Bands." Now, they're armed with Brave, Bold, and Broken their full-length debut [Prospect Park], and the real fight is just beginning. By 2011, the band had carved out an impressive following in the Midwest that led to a featured spot on the 2012 Vans Warped Tour as well as opening slots for the likes of Seether and Breaking Benjamin. At the urging of a close friend, Mindset Evolution reluctantly entered the first-ever Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival "Battle of the Bands." They eventually emerged victorious out of a pool of over 5,300 bands across the country. "We had just endured a lineup change and were actually in the process of planning our next step," remembers Ulrich. "We wanted to write more, but my buddy found this 'Battle of the Bands' contest. He entered us without saying anything. We started promoting and ended up winning." As contest victors, they landed a spot on the Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival 2012 sharing the stage with Shinedown, Godsmack, and Staind for the entire summer. On the album, produced by Johnny K [Staind, Disturbed], they infuse hard rock with a vibrant, vital, and, at times, vulnerable energy. That spark ignites on the incendiary and irresistible first single "Burn it Down." "At some point, we've all relied on somebody who has no idea what they're doing instead of relying on ourselves," Ulrich admits. "You've got to make it happen for yourself." In many ways, the band's very moniker suggests the importance of change in the face of life's trials and tribulations. "If you face an obstacle that you can't pass, you have to change your approach and do something differently," he explains. "You have to look at it from another angle and find a way around it or through it. That's what the name is about. That's what we're about." Get your copy of "Brave, Bold & Broken" here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/brave-bold-broken/id687543493