Harvest is thrilled to announce the four finalists that will compete to be the 2019 Stingray Rising Stars winner. This competition is presented by the Festival and Stingray—Canada’s favorite continuous music network—and offers up-and-coming musicians a chance for local, provincial and national exposure.
The Stingray Rising Stars Showcase is a place for great emerging New Brunswick acts to shine. This competition has helped catapult the careers of artists like Keith Hallett, Ross Neilsen, Matt Andersen and Stephen Lewis.
This year’s Stingray Rising Stars Finalists are McKinley Morrison & Williams, Les MoonTunes, Bleum and Delirious Monks. Online voting is now open: http://bit.ly/HJBF-Stingray-Rising-Star-2019
As part of Harvest’s commitment to the development of local talent, the Stingray Rising Stars Showcase will take place in a free show on Saturday, September 14th at 1:30 p.m. in the Atlantic Lottery Barracks Tent. Each of the four finalists will perform and be judged on talent, originality and stage presence by a panel of music industry experts.
A pre-event online voting campaign will take place and votes will also be taken from members of the audience that afternoon, participants are encouraged to bring out family and friends for support. The panel of industry judges will comprise 50% of the final vote tally and the audience and online voting will represent the remaining 50%. In the event of a tie, the choice of the industry judges will prevail.
“The Stingray Rising Stars Showcase is a chance not only for festival goers to experience new great music this province produces year after year, but a place for up and coming musicians to cut their teeth and gain experience performing on a festival stage,” said Brent Staeben, Harvest’s Music Director. “We’re so proud that the Stingray Rising Stars Showcase continues to provide a space for great New Brunswick music.”
Fredericton’s own Stephen Lewis, of the Big Band of Fun, credits the growth in his career to participating in the Stingray Rising Stars competition.
“I didn’t win, but it really propelled me to go after my dreams and the next year I was officially booked! It played a huge role in the career I’m experiencing now!” he wrote.
These four finalists represent the high caliber of New Brunswick’s music industry, spanning a diverse range of genres from funk, hip-hop, pop and heavy-metal.
The winner of Harvest’s Stingray Music Rising Stars Competition will receive a prize package including $1500 for the winner and each contestant will receive a promotional video for their own use of their Stingray Rising Stars performance. The winning band will also open Saturday’s show in the Atlantic Lottery Barracks Tent for Andy Frasco & the UN.
More about each finalist:
McKinley Morrison & Williams
Born from creativity and freedom, Josh McKinley, John Morrison and Darrell Williams have brought their flavors together to form a completely original sound. Expect a groove based musical fusion, bass solos, guitar wizardry, and a near drum clinic performance. Check out these cats and the magic that they are creating!
Les MoonTunes
Created in August 2015 in Moncton, N-B, Les MoonTunes is composed of a group of friends from various backgrounds. The 7 members are influenced by different musical genres such as heavy soul, psychedelic rock and Hip-Hop, and they blend their styles together to form a lunar entity.
Bleum
Bleum is a pop music duo consisting of producer Daniel James and vocalist/songwriter Brittany McQuinn. Their collaborative work has won both a Toronto Independent Music Award and a Music New Brunswick Award. Bleum’s sound combines elements of pop and R&B with dark, hazy electronic music production, creating an original sound that ebbs and flows with the seasons.
Delirious Monks
Three-piece rock band that dares you not to have a good time. Influences from Hendrix, Sabbath, and Zeppelin all the way to The Black Keys, Delirious Monks like to get loud. If you come see them play, bring your dancing shoes because funk is also on the menu.
About Stingray
Montreal-based Stingray Group is a leading music, media and technology company with over 1,200 employees worldwide. Stingray is a premium provider of curated direct-to-consumer and B2B (business to business) services, including audio television channels, more than 100 radio stations, SVOD content, 4K UHD television channels, karaoke products, digital signage, in-store music and music apps, which have been downloaded over 140 million times. Stingray reaches 400 million subscribers (or users) in 156 countries.