News

We are hugely proud to unveil such an important and progressive project which will give invaluable advice and opportunities to Merseyside’s bustling musical talent.

Andy Heath

Managing Director

Merseyrail Sound Station will bring together an inspirational group of figures from across the local, national and international music industry to work directly with emerging Liverpool artists.

Registration is OPEN NOW until 13th July for musicians to apply to be involved in the first semester of the project which begins in August.

Merseyrail Sound Station has been launched to give emerging local artists access to leading figures in the music industry and the opportunity to progress to the next stage of their career.

Bido Lito! Magazine Founder and project lead Craig Pennington said of the project, “Music is hugely important to the DNA of our city and this project is about ensuring the next generation of musicians are equipped to excel in the modern music environment. The music sector has changed hugely over the past decade, with the decline of record sales and rise of new models around streaming that place artists in a great position of power and opportunity. But it is hugely important that our aspiring local musicians understand how best to excel in this brave new world. This programme - working with some of the most exciting music companies in the country and made possible by Merseyrail - will provide our local artists with the knowledge and skills they need.”

The need for such a programme of support has been identified by Merseyrail and Bido Lito! following the monthly music magazine’s research in Liverpool’s music sector with Liverpool John Moore’s University in 2017 (www.liverpoolmusiccity.co.uk). The research identified the need for much more structured, city wide support and development programmes for local artists and Merseyrail Sound Station has been designed to address this head on.

The programme will be based around three core components:

Studio Workshops - These sessions are all about developing valuable and practical music skills, particularly around song arrangement and composition, challenging participants to think about new ways of working and developing their practice. Led by highly successful and experienced musical mentors from a variety of different genres, these sessions are designed to be productive and challenging for our participants.

Artist-Led Masterclasses - These sessions are all about fuelling aspiration and enabling artists to visualise a pathway to the next stage of their development through the experience of local artists who have enjoyed a good level of national and international success. The session is designed to enable quality peer-to-peer interaction. Questions and discussion areas concerning management, live booking, record labels, publishing, brand partnerships and engaging the press will all be explored.

Music Industry MOTs - These sessions are all about positive and constructive feedback for our artists, from a panel of highly experienced and esteemed representatives from the national music industry. These include record labels, publishing companies, PRs, industry bodies, booking agents and artist managers. This feedback and targeted advice will take place across a series of one-to-one sessions and a large group workshop. This will be an invaluable opportunity for our musicians to hear from key figures in the sector.

Following the structured programme of support, Sound Station artists will enjoy a range of Live Performance Opportunities, including the Sound Station Live festival at Liverpool Central Station, plus an exclusive opportunity to play high profile support slots with touring artists in Liverpool and beyond.

Merseyrail Managing Director Andy Heath said: “We are hugely proud to unveil such an important and progressive project which will give invaluable advice and opportunities to Merseyside’s bustling musical talent. Merseyrail has a long-standing commitment through our work with Sound Station to support the development of music in the city. The holistic nature of the project means participants will really benefit from the programme of sessions and I can’t wait to see that showcased at the next Sound Station Live festival!”

The deadline for applications is Friday 13th July with a cohort of participants being unveiled ahead of the programme beginning in August. For more information and to apply go to merseyrailsoundstation.co.uk