The cream of Notts talent has reached the next stage of Future Sound of Nottingham, the annual contest which gives one lucky act the opportunity to perform at Splendour in front of 20,000 people.
Opening the main stage at Wollaton Park on Saturday 23rd July, the winning act will join headliners Grammy Award winner Jess Glynne and legendary bands The Human League and UB40.
Organised by community project NUSIC and supported by Nottinghamshire Music Hub, a total of 12 semi-finalists have been selected by a panel of industry experts and cover a variety of genres, from Acoustic Pop to Hip Hop and Rock.
Mark Del, of NUSIC, said: “Three acoustic singer-songwriters, one Reggae band, two Indie bands, one Punk band, one MC, one alternative band, one electronic artist plus two Pop Rock bands, I’m proper happy with the musical diversity in this year’s Semi-Finalists. And remember an MC plus a Soul artist are already straight through to the Final. Plus the ladies are taking over. Eight of the twelve semi-finalists are either female, or female led groups. I’m hopeful the people of Notts feel FSN is doing a decent job of representing our wondrously diverse music scene. It should be a great Final on June 19th.”
After securing the most points in round one, eclectic rapper Ski and soul artist Oscar Speed will go straight through to the final held at Rock City on Sunday 19th June.
The other successful semi-finalists are: Babe Punch, Homesick, Alice Short, Katie Lyle, Lisa Hendricks and the Project-Us Band, Wolf Club, One Giant Causeway, Megan Kelsey, The Young, Sonder, Indian Summer and Super Furniture.
The FSN champ will add to an already huge Splendour lineup and an impressive roster of Nottingham talent, including a debut from local rising star Ady Suleiman. Across the park, home-grown talent will flourish on the Acoustic Rooms Stage as well as vibrant fringe acts entertaining the 20,000 crowds expected at the summer festival.
Anton Lockwood, Director of Promotions at DHP Family, added: “Splendour offers a great opportunity for local talent to play alongside some truly legendary names. The Notts music scene is alive with recognisable names, from Jake Bugg, Indiana and Ady Suleiman, who’s playing at Splendour this year, and the array of FSN contestants is proof of the quality and diversity the county has to offer.”
The public vote is open now at www.nusic.org.uk/fsn until 11.59pm Wednesday 18th May 2016 with a live poll showing the number of votes cast for each artist. The finalists will be announced on Monday 23rd May 2016 via the New Music Podcast.
NUSIC is dedicated to all things ‘Notts, Musical and New’ and aims to support unsigned musicians from the county. For more information on FSN, visit www.nusic.org.uk/fsn.
Tickets for Splendour are on sale now and start at just £20. To get the latest line-up announcements and festival updates go to www.splendourfestival.com or like www.facebook.com/splendourfestivalUK or follow @splendourfest.
