Outward Sound Recipients Round 2 2012

June 15th 2012
Outward Sound is pleased to announce the 2nd round of grant recipients for 2012. Five Stage One, five Stage Two and two Business Development grants were awarded.

Outward Sound is pleased to announce the 2nd round of grant recipients for 2012.

Five Stage One, five Stage Two and two Business Development grants were awarded.

 

Avalanche City - Stage 2.

Avalanche City is the brainchild of Dave Baxter, a singer songwriter who wrote, produced, recorded and played every instrument on his debut album Our New Life Above The Ground. Baxter recorded the album in just one week. With the release of the single for "Love Love Love," Avalanche City became the fastest selling debut artist in New Zealand history. After signing to Roadrunner Records North America earlier this year the band is spending considerable time stateside.

Dave Baxter and band continue racking up their frequent flyer miles with this their second US tour in six months. Supporting the release of their US debut Love Love Love EP out now through Roadrunner Records the band performed six packed showcases at SXSW and followed on with a national tour with chart topping Fuelled By Ramen band Fun. which covered five states and included three sold out shows.


Princess Chelsea - Stage 2. (pictured)

Life has taken an interesting turn for Lil Chief recording artist Princess Chelsea with the video for her song Cigarette Duet taking on a life of it's own - ‘going viral' as they say - with YouTube views currently sitting at a phenomenal 3,494,322.. and rising.

Needless to say there has been quite a bit of interest in the band from the video - as well as the band's very well received CMJ showcase last year. Princess Chelsea and her band have been on tour through Europe and the UK for over five weeks now and counting. She has been playing her own headline and festival shows and showcased at both The Great Escape (where she was noted as being the ‘Fastest growing artists over the last 6 months based on plays online' via Musicweek.com) and Liverpool Sound City music festivals. She was also featured as ‘New Band Of The Day' in the Guardian on the 1st of June.

"If you have a stomach for the ravishingly strange, check out Chelsea Nikkel's magical yet menacing morality tales" - The Guardian


Shapeshifter NZ Ltd - Stage 2.

Shapeshifting in more than just name Shapeshifter are capable of heady audio and genre transformations morphing from rolling drum & bass to pummeling guitar-driven jams to horizon-shifting electronic soundscapes. Signed to UK Drum & Bass label Hospital Records the band are once again climbing into the tour van to bring their DnB magic to European fans.

Supporting the European release of their single Monarch. Shapeshifter will be showcasing at clubs and festival shows through out the UK and Europe - including performing at WOMAD, Boardmasters and headlining on the main stage of the massive Polish music festival Audioriver.

 

Sola Rosa - Stage 2.

Since Andrew Spraggon's first formative releases as Sola Rosa at the turn of the 21st century, he's steadily built a reputation for his deft synthesis of styles and quiet disregard for the niceties of genre boundaries. With a catch-all sound encompassing the best of hip hop, reggae, jazz, latin, soul and funk, all six of Sola Rosa's critically acclaimed albums are a potent distillation of the music that's influenced Spraggon over the course of his decade long career as a musician and producer.

2011 saw the release of Get It Together in Europe, and the US backed up by the bands debut tour of both territories. While there they captured the attention of radio stations KCRW, KEXP & WNYC in the USA, Funkhaus in Germany, and Radio Nova in France to name a few. They were top of the list in Marco Werman's (of PRI's The World) pick of 2011 album list, were artists of the week for MTV Iggy & Funkhaus Europa and featured on Tape TV in Germany. The creators of Gossip Girl, the Protector and Mob Wives also loving the sound of the Get it Together Album and using multiple tracks on their shows.

Sola Rosa are currently readying the worldwide release of their brand new album Low and Behold High and Beyond. The band will be following the release in the USA and Canada with a full band tour building on the successes of the previous year.


Black Seeds - Stage 2.

With one gold, one platinum, and two double-platinum-selling albums, The Black Seeds have carved out their reputation on the strength of critically acclaimed studio albums and a legendary live show.

A tireless touring unit the Black Seeds have established strong fan bases across New Zealand, Australia, Europe and North America and an ever-growing reputation around the world for their 8-piece live shows, regularly performing to packed houses and at some of the worlds major music festivals.

In March of this year the band and their management realised the global launch of their latest album Dust And Dirt. They promptly followed the European and UK release with a tour of those territories.

Phase two of the album push will take place in August when they release a new single from the album and undertake an extensive tour of the UK and Europe performing at a string of high profile festival dates including the New Zealand showcase in Frankfurt on the 23rd of August.


She's So Rad - Stage 1.

Taite Music finalists in 2012 She's So Rad were invited as the solo support act for Ladyhawke on her 12 date UK album release tour, playing to sold out crowds ranging from 450 to 2000 punters. In addition to the Ladyhawke dates the band played a series of their own headlining showcases, including performing at indie club nights and at the Liverpool Sound City Festival.


Kerretta - Stage 1.

Taite Music finalists in 2011 Keretta were hailed by Alternative Press as one of the "Top 100 bands in the world to watch". They have recently returned from a mammoth self-funded 25 date tour of Europe in which they laid waste to ecstatic European crowds with their cyber-metal take on post rock dynamics. In October of this year the band will return to Europe for a follow up tour building on the successes of their earlier tours as well as to capitalizing on the critical acclaim the band have received for their second album Saansilo.


Ruby Frost - Stage 1.

Island Records recording artist Ruby Frost will be heading across the Tasman shortly to support the Australian release of her long awaited debut album VOLITION in that territory through a Island Records Australia organized media showcase tour. Rolling Stone Australia recently featured her in their New Faces 2011 list of the ‘ten most exciting female voices in Antipodean music today'


Heart Attack Alley - Stage 1.

Karl Steven's psycho hillbilly blues trio Heart Attack Alley have been described as ‘the demon child of Polly Harvey and Screamin' Jay Hawkins'. Signed to Swiss label Voodoo Rhythm Records The band will be touring Europe and the UK in support of the release of their debut album the band recently recorded in Montebelluna, Italy. They recorded their album during their self-funded tour of Europe that they have just completed.


Glass Vaults - Stage 1.

Glass Vaults are Wellington's Richard Larsen and Rowan Pierce. To date, they have released two EP's, both on Fort Lauderdale based label, Juboxr. The band are relocating to New York to take up a residency at iconic NYC venue Pianos followed by touring the East Coast of the USA.

"This duo is quickly becoming one of the most understated, beautiful acts in independent music today" - OMG Vinyl.com

 

Business Support Grants

The business support grant provides specific assistance to attend tradeshows (MIDEM, SXSW, CMJ, Big Sound etc) and to improve and broaden international commercial links. The grant provides basic costs for airfares, accommodation, and per diems.

 

Page One Management

Ashley Page of Page One Management representing KidsOf88, Luger Boa, Junica, The Wild, Peasants and Loui The ZU.


Grafiti Entertainment

Scott Grafton of Grafiti Entertainment representing Batucada Sound Machine, Tahuna Breaks, Tama Waipara and the Phil Edwards Band

 

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Applications for the next round of Outward Sound grants close on July 23rd 2012 at 5pm.

 

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