TRANSLINK have announced the six finalists in its Translink Sessions music competition for unsigned local talent.
Each artist had to submit an original song based around the theme of ‘connections', and the finalists chosen by the judges will now have the opportunity to busk in a series of sessions at Translink’s bus and rail stations during August.
The finalists will then play at a live final on August 30 at Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast, where they will compete to win a £1,000 prize and airtime on Q Radio, plus studio recording time and mentoring from industry experts.
This year's finalists are Armagh/Tyrone indie-emo band Birches, Newry native Jack Devlin, indie folk artists Max Sloan from Newtownards, Niall McDowell from Belfast, Northern Ireland/Ghanaian musician and Glastonbury veteran Winnie Ama and Cora Harkin from Derry.
Sean McGreevy from Translink was part of the judging panel: “We are delighted with the six artists that have made our final, but it was no easy task to whittle it down from over 40 entries received, which only goes to highlight the depth of musical talent there is across Northern Ireland.
“All six of our finalists really impressed the judges with their songs and we look forward to showcasing them in the weeks ahead at our station busking sessions as we prepare for the grand finale at the end of August.”
Caoimhe O’Connell at the Oh Yeah Music Centre adds: “We were impressed by the level of talent that emerged through this competition. We had entries from all sorts of artists, from different genres and walks of life, and choosing the final six was a major challenge.
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"We are delighted to be hosting these six fantastic artists and their original songs at the Oh Yeah Centre on August 30."
Declan Wilson at Q Radio says: “I was delighted to be part of the judging panel for the competition and I’m even more excited to be hosting the live final now that I’ve seen the quality of acts we have shortlisted. It promises to be an exciting evening and a great showcase of local talent.
“Being a radio presenter, we are always on the lookout for fresh local music to play on the show and all these acts have embraced the ‘connections’ brief with their songwriting and undoubtedly have that star quality.”
To vote for your favourite finalists, head to ohyeahbelfast.com or to secure your tickets to the live final visit eventbrite.co.uk/e/translink-sessions-live-final-tickets-687912112647
