Ten acts have now been voted into the final of the COLGATE MAX FRESH and E-Music Television competition by fans.
Solo artists Sophie Hiller, Danielle Taylor, along with bands Gaucho, The Toniks, The Intervals, Cedar Falls, Turbo Cabbage, Trail, Joyce & Mabus, who were selected by fans, will go head to head as they vie for an opportunity to win an exclusive recording session at the world famous Abbey Road Studios in London.
Their tracks will be placed in front of an expert panel of judges from the music industry where one act will go on to win the big prize. Sitting on the panel will be The Feeling’s lead singer, Dan Gillespie as well as Jo Charrington, Head of A&R, Epic Records, Sony BMG.
Sophie Hiller, 17 years old has been singing since she was a little girl. Writing her own material, Sophie’s sound is influenced by artists such as Alicia Keys, Amy Winehouse, James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt. Sophie has been on the gig circuit since she was 11 years old and recently performed at The Regal Room in Hammersmith London.
Danielle Taylor has been singing since the age of 16 where she first started off as a backing singer. She co-founded the girl group Urban Lady and toured the UK with Big Brovaz, Damage and Blazin’ Squad. Danielle left the band in 2003 and is now concentrating on her solo work, working with various producers. Danielle draws inspiration from the likes of Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys, Karen Carpenter and Dusty Springfield.
Turbo Cabbage band members Jonathan Kirk, 33, (lead vocals), Cameron Crowe, 31, (lead guitar), Kevin Barry, 34, (drums), Alistair Seaton, 33, (rhythm guitar) and Michael Shaw, 33, (bass) hail from North London and take their influence from the likes of Stone Roses, Blondie, Queen of the Stone Age and Foo Fighters and have been together since 2006.
Trail band members, Charlie Afif, 28, (singer), Alex Mattey, 25, (guitar/keyboards), Eireann Kelly, 25, (guitar), Simon Glynn, 26, (bass) and Greg Paulett, 30 (drums), have only been playing together for a year. Taking inspiration from the surroundings of the North Circular Road Trail is defined by a whirlwind of contradictions giving rise to a sound that is both dark but uplifting, powerful but subtle and unique but identifiable.
Gaucho band members, Marcus Shaw (Lead vocals), Mark Lodge (guitar), Jason Ellis (bass/backing vocals), and Chris Barnacoat (drums) hail from Retford, Nottinghamshire and have been together for three years. Fusing rock with funky beats, Gaucho performs tracks that are powerful and connect emotionally to the listeners and supported American rock band Wheatus during their tour in October last year. They also received the Best Band 2007 Award from their local Pitched Awards.
Joyce band members James Gresty, 29, (piano/vocals), Antony Malone, 26, (guitar), Mike Cook, 29, (keyboard) and John Baron, 20, (drums) have been together for two years and hail from Lancashire. Combining a mix of electronic music and acoustic songs, Joyce are currently gigging around Manchester and Liverpool and will be playing at the WA1 Venue Bar on Friday 1st February.
Cedar Falls band members Robert Hough (guitar/vocals), Keiron Coyne (vocals/bass), Alex Williams (Drums) have been together since 2005 and hail from Liverpool. Taking inspiration from bands such as The Smiths, Doves and Long-view, Cedar Falls write their own songs conveying a unique take on matters such as lost love and war.
Mabus band members Rick Brady, 21, (vocals), Tom Poad, 21, (guitar), Mark Throup, 20, (Bass) and Fran Whitebread, 20, (drums) are one of Leed’s most promising bands, having already headlined at the Cockpit. Drawing influences from Led Zepp, RHCP, Foo’s and Incubus, Mabus have been together for six years.
The Intervals band members Chris Townsend, 19, (guitar/vocals), Joe Davies, 20, (drums), Fraser McCrum, 20, (Bass) and Arfa Neild, 20, (guitar) have been together for three years. Describing themselves as a post-punk indie rock band, The Intervals are based in Bristol and have played gigs all over England.
The Toniks band members, Mark Taylor, 29, (vocals/bass), Jez Parish, 25, (guitar/vocals), Tom Parish, 19, (guitar), and Gary Sanger, 27 (drums/vocals) are all from Guildford and have been together for just six months. Taking inspiration from bands including The Beatles, Razorlight and Dandy Warhols, The Toniks’ believe in producing good songs, with good melodies.
All the acts have a chance to win a 12-hour recording session working with an engineer in Studio 1 or 2 at Abbey Road Studios. The winner will be given a master copy and CD from their session that will help them advance their music career.
The winner will be announced on the 31st January.
To hear the tracks visit http://www.emusic.tv/container.php?linkid=30
