Eight acts under age 22 from Larimer and Weld counties will participate in the Sonic Spotlight, a new northern Colorado music showcase, and competition supported by Fort Collins Museum of Discovery,105.5 The Colorado Sound and Bohemian Foundation. The Sonic Spotlight received 50 submissions between September 1 – September 30.
“This is an opportunity for the youth to work with industry experts, connect with creative peers, receive radio airplay, create professional music videos, win prizes, and level up their music,” According to the Sonic Spotlight.
The first showcase will feature all eight participants and air live at 7 p.m. November 19 on the radio at 105.5 The Colorado Sound and streamed online at Colorado Sound and KCSU.
The second round of the competition will feature three finalists who will debut music videos as part of an online showcase on December 10 on Live on The Colorado Sound Facebook.
The Cohort of Musicians:
Hotel WiFi
Windsor, Colorado (alternative, lo-fi)
Describing their style as “genre-queer,” Hotel WiFi pulls influence from all sides of the musical spectrum to create beautiful and meaningful songs inspired by artists including Nick Drake, Modern Baseball, Xiu Xiu and Owl City.
Julia Kirkwood
Windsor, Colorado (singer-songwriter)
Bubbly and infectious but grounded in soulful understanding and bold self-revelation, 14-year-old singer-songwriter Julia Kirkwood’s music merges pop with hints of folk, rock and electronica.
Lasaylo
Greeley, Colorado (electronic, future bass)
A junior at UNC, Lasaylo, aka Bennett Mueller, started producing about a year ago and continues to explore the realms of mystical music and experimental electronic music.
Macy Warner
Fort Collins, Colorado (singer-songwriter)
Macy Warner’s writing is brutally vulnerable, and when combined with her sultry voice and depth of her Baritone Ukulele, she crafts a mesmerizing song.
Miranda Fling
Fort Collins, Colorado (indie pop, folk)
Inspired by sometimes unwanted feelings, innermost desires and the little moments of her life, Miranda Fling’s introspective indie pop explores the complexities of emotions and love.
Noah Orlowski
Berthoud, Colorado (indie)
Inspired by the music of artists including Elliott Smith and Tom Waits, Orlowski writes songs about loneliness, rejection, death and depression while playing homemade instruments into a second-hand podcast microphone.
People in General
Fort Collins, Colorado (pop, jazz)
This Fort Collins trio fuses elements of math-rock, bedroom pop, jazz and funk to deliver fun and high energy performances weaving complex sonic textures into their compositions.
TX2
Fort Collins, Colorado (punk, hip-hop)
Best known for his fast chopper flow and punk rock style, Evan Thomas, aka TX2, aims to bring true punk rock attitude into the hip-hop scene.
A panel of experienced industry professionals will weigh in to determine which artists advance and, ultimately, who is crowned winner of Sonic Spotlight 2020. The radio and online showcases are free and open to all music fans. For more information visit Sonic Spotlight.
