Four more lucky bands to benefit from studio cash

Apr 23 2009 by Carla Callaghan, Hamilton Advertiser

A BLANTYRE recording studio have been awarded a £5000 grant from the Scottish Arts Council.

And they are looking to give four lucky bands recording time worth £1000 each.

The Demo Grant has been awarded as part of the Youth Music Initiative (YMI) and will provide unsigned bands with their very own top-quality demo, recorded and produced by the staff at Chem 19 studio.

A pilot version of the Demo Grant was launched last year, and one of the bands, The Strand, secured a gig at the world-famous South by South West Festival in America on the strength of their recording.

Bands interested in applying for the grant must fit the Chem 19 and YMI criteria, meaning that bands or artists must be at the right stage of their development and be ‘ready’ to record.

Preference will be given to those working with original material. Musicians must in the main be under 25, but those with a band member over 25 will not be discounted. Groups must be based in Scotland and never have recorded a quality demo before.

Jim Savage of Chem 19, said: “There will be five bands going into the studio to record a demo and the idea is to give them a hand to seek a deal, get more gigs booked or to go on tours.

“We have identified one band so far, so we are looking for four more and the result is for the bands or artists to come out with a top-quality demo.”

The studio, based in Blantyre Industrial Estate, boast a long list of famous Scottish bands who have recorded there including Sons and Daughters, Idlewild and Mogwai. For further information on the grant and if your band fit the criteria, please contact Jim Savage at Chem 19 on 07775901358.