BEAT100 Ultimate Musician: Maddison Wilson

Maddison Wilson has become the latest BEAT100 member to receive the Ultimate Musician Award!Maddison from Melbourne, Australia is a newcomer to the BEAT100 community that has impressed the A&R team with her beautiful original track 'Birds'. The emotional piano ballad is currently climbing in the World Music Video Chart and has received 3 Gold Awards. Speaking about the creation of her latest piece,Maddion says 'Birds represents the fear of change and the challenges we are faced with when a new world is presented to us.' Obviously a very personal and emotional song for the talented writer, Maddison sings 'Birds' with a natural passion and charisma that can be heard in her vocals throughout the track.

Maddison did not grow up with an overly musical background like some artists but found that her love for music was something that came naturally to her. As a child she begged her parents for piano and singing lessons and her talent has blossomed ever since. To this day Maddison still takes inspiration from her past teachers whenever she writes and sings. These influences have obviously helped her musically throughout her career because in 2013, Maddison became a finalist in the Australian Independent Music Awards for her debut single 'The Fight'. She also went on to collect rave reviews for 'Higher' a track released earlier this year. Influenced by the music of Sarah Bareilles and Alanis Morisette, Maddison creates moving and emotionally engaging music that is reminiscent of UK singer songwriter Birdy. One of Maddison's greatest artistic inspirations is David Bowie; his eclectic influence can be seen in the music video for 'Birds'. With a masquerade party theme based on Labyrinth, the music video depicts an indulgent scene filled with lace, beading and champagne. Maddison tells BEAT100 that 'Birds' is her most creative release ever and one of her team's greatest achievements to date.

Lately the songstress has been hard at work creating new tracks for her debut album which will hopefully be ready for release in early 2015! With a full schedule ahead of her, she will be busy performing many gigs in the coming months and also working on some collaborations. Maddison is extremely excited about her track currently in the charts, telling BEAT100 'I'm very much a Pop person but I don't always feel like I fit in...I am truly grateful to everyone who voted and can't wait to share some more music with everyone.'

Written for www.BEAT100.com

Virginia Ernst Is Named as the Latest BEAT100 Ultimate Musician!

Songstress Virginia Ernst has earned the Ultimate Musician Award after catching the eye of the A&R team with her pop hit 'Soldier'. Virginia, from Vienna, is already a hit in her home country, with one of her previous tracks entering the Top 40 of one of the biggest radio stations in Austria; she has also garnered attention in Sweden, Germany, Poland and the UK. Following in the footsteps of her musician father, Virginia was inspired to create music from a young age. As a child she started writing and singing her own songs but never believed that she could become a star, instead she focussed on her other love of ice hockey! From the age of 14 Virginia played for the Austrian National team and at just 17 years old, moved to Sweden to play professionally.

After a successful few years as an ice hockey player, Virginia realised that her passion for music could not be diminished and she set herself a new goal to become the performer that she had always wanted to be. At 20 years old she started to learn the guitar on YouTube and in 2011, the talented young singer travelled all the way to London to perform in a singer/songwriter competition which she then went on to win! Virginia spoke to BEAT100 about her sudden musical success 'I never thought I could reach so much in such a short time. Everything went so fast for me but I love it!' she said. Virginia now enjoys a degree of fame in Austria and has started to be recognised in the street!

Now, using influences from her idol, Pink, Virginia creates catchy, edgy music that highlights her strong vocals. Her unique voice gives her music a key individuality and freshness that keeps the listener tuned in. Her latest track 'Soldier' has been given 3 Gold Awards by the BEAT100 team and is steadily climbing the World Music Video Chart. The strong pop production has a catchy chorus and a professional music video that makes it seem that Virginia has been creating music for far longer than she has. Lately, Virginia has been working on a brand new EP and is preparing to shoot some new music videos soon, which we can't wait to see!

Written for www.BEAT100.com

Summertime Dropouts are BEAT100's Newest Ultimate Musicians

BEAT100 are pleased to announce our newest Ultimate Musicians, Summertime Dropouts! The five-piece from Minneapolis, MN create an energetic combination of Punk, Pop and Rock that is reminiscent of Pop Punk supremes such as Sum 41 and Blink 182. The band impressed the BEAT100 A&R team with their catchy newest hit 'Young and Dumb' which was released on the 28th October and won the band 3 Gold Awards. As well as 'Young and Dumb' Summertime Dropouts have also won 3 Gold Awards for every song that they have uploaded to BEAT100 proving the consistency in their work.

Danny, Michael, Josh, Joe and David are mainly influenced by the likes of Fountains of Wayne, Bowling For Soup and Sum 41 and that classic Pop Punk sound can be heard in their tracks. Each song from debut album 'Rewind' creates a lively, vibrant and infectious sound that is an obvious hit with their listeners, onBEAT100 and beyond. In keeping with their energetic boy band image, Summertime Dropouts have a fun outlook on the tough parts of band life, jokingly telling BEAT100 'We have a HUGE passion for loading trailers and living out of gas stations.' In keeping with their satirical sense of humour, the band have also written a book....a book entitled '100 Things to Do With a Potato.' Born from a Twitter joke with fans, the book has now been translated into 5 languages and is currently available for free download.

Following debut album 'Rewind' and the release of the new single 'Young and Dumb', Summertime Dropouts are now preparing for the release of their brand new album 'No Diving' which is out on 2nd December this year. BEAT100 wishes the band all the best for their track in the World Music Video Chart at the moment, and of course for the release of their second album!

Written for www.BEAT100.com

BEAT100 Chart Winners - 27th October 2014

This week saw 3 really talented musicians and groups at the top of the BEAT100 World Music Chart - 1 former German Idol contestant, amazingly talented 14 year old twins and an acoustic 'Progressive Folk' group. Here is my article and the accompanying music videos for these 3 great acts.

Jesse Ritch walks away with the Number 1 spot on this week's World Music Video Chart! Jesse has reached the top of the charts with his original song 'Let Me Love You'; the acoustic track sees Jesse showing off his impressive vocals accompanied by soothing piano sounds. The emotional song was awarded 3 Gold Awards by the BEAT100 A&R team as well as gaining over 2300 views on BEAT100 alone. Jesse, from Switzerland, is best known for his appearance on the 9th season of German Idol in 2012, in which he finished 3rd. Since then Jesse has gone on to carve out a strong musical career for himself; after being signed by music label '7Music' Jesse released his self titled debut album in February 2013. His first single 'Forever and a Day' was also chosen for the pre-selection of the Eurovision Song Contest 2013, only narrowly missing out to The Salvation Army. As well as performing as a solo artist, Jesse also utilises his natural vocal ability as a singer for DJ BoBO, Switzerland's biggest singer, songwriter and entertainer. Having recently released his second album 'Groove' in April 2014, Jesse is currently on tour in Switzerland and Germany. Always working hard to become a household name in his home country and beyond, the talented song writer tells BEAT100 that his next goal is to become better known in the UK and the US, expanding his overseas fanbase. With his first 2 albums gaining such a good reception from his fans we are sure that Jesse will go far!


Second place in the charts this week goes to The Sposato Brothers and their amazing cover of Stevie Wonder's 'Living For the City'. The 14 year old twin brothers from Malibu, California bring a whirlwind of fun and upbeat tunes to their BEAT100 listeners and recieved 3 Gold Awards and over 2000 views in return! Julian and Milo are inspired by a diverse range of artists including Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars and bring a youthful energy and creativity to their songs, covers and originals alike! With a songwriter and a composer for a father, it is easy to see why the brothers were hooked on music from a young age. At just 2 years old, father Blue noticed baby Julian singing back the violin lines that he was composing, whereas a young Milo started pestering his parents for a saxophone at just 4 years old. After beginning to study piano at 6 years old, the twins were treated on their 9th birthdays with saxophones and trumpets. With such a musical family it is easy to see why the twins have been such a hit with their online fanbase. As well as their hectic schedule of recording and performing the boys also study acting, improv and dance. As well as that they cram all of their spare time with their favourite activities of karate, soccer and water polo. The brothers definitely bring their own brand of youthful energy to their work and along with their natural vocal talent and passion it makes for a great performance! Currently busy with their energetic life style The Sposato Brothers are always on the look out for new opportunities with production and recording companies whilst enjoying recording and performing.



In 3rd place this week is Progressive Folk group Greye! Greye impressed the BEAT100 viewers with their fresh and unique sound on their acoustic original 'I Love You' which won them 3 Gold Awards and also saw them being named as BEAT100 Ultimate Musicians. Only forming in 2013, Greye is a relatively new band but that hasn't stopped them making an amazing first impression on BEAT100 and beyond! Over the last year the band have written 28 original songs and had a hectic festival season this summer. Using a disciplined approach and strong work ethic the band work together up to 20 hours a week recording and writing. As a result of all of the band's hard work their debut album 'Providence', made up of 14 original songs, was released in August this year to rave reviews; one critic described 'Providence' as 'an original, poetic and refreshing new album, full of strong societal commentary and sentimental subjects that are distinguishable and relatable to many young people.'  The four band members, Jett, Hannah, Ray and Josh all bring their unique musical influences to the band; inspired by a large range of artists that include Ed Sheeran, Bruce Springsteen, Incubus and Red Hot Chilli Peppers, the band combine their musical tastes to create a signature sound that is both individual and vibrant. Wanting to stay true to traditional Folk music, Greye only use acoustic instruments which, accompanied with the soothing voice of lead singer Hannah, creates a timeless sound that is not easy to forget. Currently, Greye have a busy work schedule of writing, recording and performances. Not content with the success of their first album, Greye is already hard at work on a second, set for release in Spring 2015!

Edinburgh Trio Young Fathers Win the Mercury Prize 2014

Edinburgh based trio, Young Fathers, have become the surprise winners of the Barclaycard Mercury Prize 2014. The Mercury Prize annually celebrates the best British albums of the year, giving a £20,000 prize to the lucky winners as judged by an expert panel. The band received the prize at last night's award ceremony in the Roundhouse, North London, announced by UK DJ Nick Grimshaw. Young Fathers create an eclectic sound, with a mash up of hip-hop, gospel melodies and punky electro tunes, they have been described as 'a Liberian/Nigerian/Scottish psychedelic hip-hop electro boy band.' The best album of the last 12 months was deemed to be their debut record 'Dead'. 'Dead' was the second lowest selling album on this year's shortlist having sold just 2,386 copies since its release in February but that doesn't seem to have effected the choices of the judges, a mix of music industry professionals, music critics and other public figures.

With a rather obscure shortlist for this year's prize, only 2 of the 12 albums had actually reached the Number 1 spot in the charts over the last 12 months, Royal Blood's self titled debut album and Bombay Bicycle Club's 'So Long See You Tomorrow'. Young Fathers have beaten this year's favourites, rock-duo Royal Blood, alt-RnB act FKA Twigs and singer/poet Kate Tempest who were all tipped to win this year's coveted prize. In contrast, Young Fathers have very much been the underdog of the competition, with odds of just 14-1 before Wednesday night's announcement. Despite not winning, FKA Twigs, GoGo Penguin and Royal Blood have all seen a significant sales increase since being nominated for the prize back in September.

The band, made up of friends G, Alloysious and Kayus seem unfazed by their sudden monetary windfall saying 'What happens with the money is not our priority...We are constantly writing and trying to be as creative as possible, so we are just continuing with that. We are not trying to hide anything, we want as many people as possible to listen to our music.' Young Fathers are already in the process of recording another album in Berlin and stated that their £20,000 prize money will help to fund that. Band member G Hastings also comments 'We'll take it in our stride...We always wanted to make something bigger than the city we were living in.'

Check out 'I heard' from Young Father's debut album 'Dead'