Sunday 24 April 2016

3rd Glastonbury FM Songwriting Final

Saturday 14TH May at the Bocabar Glastonbury

Well it’s that time of year again when we bring you the Glastonbury Songwriting Final. We have some great prizes on offer for our 8 finalists. Slots at the Farmfestival and the GFM Stage at The Godney Gathering are up for grabs along with an acoustic gig with Pheonix Somerset and slots at The new Glastonbury Calling Festival. On top of this we also have a photo shoot with Laura Zaky Photography. So we must say a huge thanks to all of our sponsors.


In our first two finals we had great nights with two fantastic winners in UKID and Jack Fox-Williams. On top of this many entries won other great prizes and quite a few of those who didn’t bag prizes got asked by our panel of judges to their festivals the following year.
We have two new judges on our initial entries this year so a big thanks to them for doing such a great job of whittling down some fantastic entries to just 8 finalists. It is a really difficult job but one which they enjoyed but also found their selves torn as the standard was so high.
In the final all of the acts will play 3 songs, with their final song being the entry they are judged on. It is a great night to celebrate the diversity of music in the area and we have had big crowds on both of the finals so please don’t miss out.

The running times are
1st Act    1945-2015            My Social Orbit
2nd Act   2015-2045            Nathan Stiles
3rd Act   2045-2115            In Brackets
4th Act   2115-2145            Kevin and the Destroyers
5th Act   2145-2215            David 9 Lunas
6th Act   2215-2245            Harry and the Gondolas
7th Act   2245-2315            Van Buxton
8th Act   2345-2445            Safehaus



Listen to the songs here:


Join the Facebook Event here:


The 8 finalists are in no particular order

Harry and the Gondolas-Brisbane River

This Bristol-based trio benefits from Harry Gould’s lead vocals and guitar, Bubba Erikson’s buoyant bass lines and Sam Snell’s flawless harmonies and percussion. Meeting through mutual friends and coming together at parties and open mics, the band was eventually formed in late 2014 and following the release of their EP last year, have played iconic local venues such as Mr Wolfs, The Gallimaufry and The Louisiana. Having worked on their sound they decided a tour was in order, so naturally they went to the other side of the world for some good ol’ Auzzy inspiration – any excuse for a holiday!
With influences such as Mumford and Sons, Bears Den and Ben Howard, it is clear why Harry and the Gondolas are the perfect accompaniment to go with that cold cider you’re craving. Their chilled nu-folk, acoustic sound and Gould’s deep resonating vocals carry the crowd toe tapping and hand clapping through fast-paced Irish-folk to mellow ballads.


Nathan Stiles-Ode to the Night

Nathan is a young musician studying at Bridgwater College. We were impressed by his song but have very little information about him.


David 9 Lunas-All the Way Home

 Living in the UK from four years old, David a Trinidadian, has been mesmerizing audiences up and down the country for a while now; usually solo but sometimes with a kick-arse rhythm section that he calls The King Pigs. Specialising in slide and fingerpicking David’s style is  forcefully rhythmical with powerful vocal that ranges from lush to gravelly.
In June 2014 David 9 Lunas first solo album, Rain  Water and Wine (produced by Anssi Jalonen) became available through Band camp, iTunes and Amazon, facebook and you can purchase a CD at all live performances. David 9 Lunas first EP, Mushroom Tea was released on 1st April 2015


Kevin and the Destroyers- 97

Kevin and the Destroyers are a Blues Rock band based in Somerset, England. After performing their first gig at a local pub in Wells, they were asked to support The Old Grey Whistle Test star John Otway at a local gig, which sold out. After this, they started gigging in Bristol, which led them to supporting bands such as Exit Calm and New City Kings, and have since headlined their own show at the Louisiana in Bristol in July. They have since recorded their own 3-track, self titled EP at a local studio, which can be heard on their Bandcamp page.


Van Buxton-22nd July

Van is a popular local musician who plays a great deal on the local music scene. He is a member of successful local Indie band Cable Co. and also plays local solo gigs. This song represents his solo side and his own talent as an individual songwriter.
My Social Orbit-Poor Ewe
The four-piece band like to describe their music as ''Intelligent, observant, tuneful, eclectic, contemporary Pop Rock''
They perform original songs that are intelligent and well crafted with classic echoes of Paul Weller, Pink Floyd and the Pixies as well as being influenced by musicians such as Radiohead, Pixies, Noel Gallagher & Arctic Monkeys.


In Brackets-Papercut Snowflakes

Are a melodic Alternative Rock band, Based in Glastonbury and have played as (InBrackets) since 2011. They have attended gigs in various live music venues within Bristol and surrounding areas playing covers and their own music. They are very dedicated to their music, making sure it's 'spot on' before they play it to any of our fans. Their 3 track EP is available for FREE to download through their facebook page.


Safehaus-Leave it All

BEN KENCH- A songwriter and performer. The creative force of SAFEHAUS. Has written for established and international artists as well as developing,  nurturing, and producing homegrown talent.