AYDA, Andrew Berry, Will Troy and Dakota Venn-Keane have been picked out as local finalists in the A New Local Hero national talent search - a key part of Irish Music Month which is set to kick off on 21 stations across Ireland on September 1st.

As one of the central features of Irish Music Month, A New Local Hero is a major call to arms for Irish musicians and bands – with all 21 participating radio stations having reached out for submissions in recent months. The excitement is rising, with a slew of announcements arriving over the next few days. Each of the acts selected by the stations will perform and be interviewed on their local station, with one act from each station going forward onto the long-list of contenders for the national A New Local Hero award.

Launched in 2021, Irish Music Month is an initiative of Hot Press and the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland, and is funded by Coimisiún na Meán.

What Irish Music Month means, across participating independent stations, is:

– More Irish music song plays

– More Irish music features

– More Irish artist gig pushes

– More Irish artist interviews

And – what's more – we'll be putting over €100,000 into the hands of music makers and their crews across the country too.

Without further ado, here are South East Radio's shortlisted artists...

Will Troy

21-year-old Kilmore, Co. Wexford talent Will Troy has been cutting his teeth on emotive pop bangers since his 2022 debut single 'Something About Stars'. With a sound which could be described as the folky soundscapes of Bon Iver meeting the melodies and frank lyrics of Picture This, the approach has proved a fruitful one for the prolific songsmith, who now boasts multiple tunes with streams in the hundreds of thousands. Cup your ear to this youngster's dulcet voice and it's no surprise that he's managed to compel many a listener.

WIll Troy.

Andrew Berry:

This Wexford Town singer-songwriter's talents have been long recognised by Irish tastemakers, having been called up to Dublin by the Voice of Ireland for an audition when he was 18 - where he made it all the way to the knockout stages. Since then, the now 27-year-old attended BIMM in Dublin and has gigged all over Ireland. Music is evidently in this capable performer's blood, as he can often be seen playing alongside his brother Chris - with the pair recently taking to the stage at the coveted Fleadh Ceol when it descended upon their hometown earlier this summer.

Matthew Berry

AYDA:

One of the youngest names put forward for this year's Local Hero competition, you'd be forgiven for mistaking 16-year-old Ayda Whyte for a seasoned pro. She got her start after enrolling in the Summer Session Young Voices at her local Arts Centre, where she'd eventually play a show to over 200 people. Brimming with potential, the singer has shared two singles thus far, 2022's 'Training Season' and April's 'Home', with both tunes showcasing her ability to craft stripped back, candour-filled tunes.

Ayda Whyte

Dakota Venn-Keane:

New Ross native Dakota Venn-Keane grew up in a music-swathed household, with his father involved in songwriting and rock bands for years. Having began to pen his own tunes at 16, the now 19-year-old cites a broad range of influences, ranging from AC/DC to 21 Pilots. A student of music production and technology at SETU in Waterford, the acoustic version of his song 'Seventeen' exhibited a catchy, Catfish and the Bottlemen-like indie charm. The future is bright in the sunny South East.

Dakota Venn-Keane.

Irish Music Month is also supported by IMRO, RAAP, Live Nation, Rubyworks and Camden Recording Studios.

See the full list of participating radio stations below:

Clare FM
Classic Hits
Cork's 96FM
East Coast FM
FM104
Galway Bay Fm
Highland Radio
KCLR
KFM
Limerick Live 95FM
LMFM
Midlands 103
MidWest Radio
Northern Sound
Ocean FM
Radio Kerry
Radio Nova
Shannonside
South-East Radio
Tipp FM
WLR FM

• Irish Music Month - Irish Radio Supporting Artists - in association with IBI, Hot Press & Coimisiún na Meán's Sound & Vision Scheme, funded by the Television License Fee.

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