EUROPEAN EMERGING BANDS CONTEST @ EYE2023: IT'S A WRAP!

From January to June 2023, JM International joined forces with the European Parliament for a brand new edition of the European Emerging Bands Contest.

The Contest was organised in the framework of the 5th European Youth Event hosted in Strasbourg on June 9th and 10th. The event brought together over 8000 young people from all over the EU and beyond. And the competition, together with the final concerts in Strasbourg, was an opportunity to discover and showcase the best new European musical acts!

The Contest was launched on February 1st, and closed on April 10th, receiving over 170 applications from bands and solo artists based in 29 different European countries. The competition Jury, composed of young musicians and cultural organizers under 35 from 14 different countries, together with JMI and the EP, then selected 8 amazing winners to perform in Strasbourg.

Find out more about all the winners in these short interviews:

Access Crew (France)

Access Crew plays French pop and funk, in a very recognizable way: each of the 5 members has their own coloured identity, promising a vibrantly grooving performance on stage! Playing in several places across France, they recently played the first part of the well-known Julien Granel in Toulouse.

SOCIALS: Facebook / Instagram / Youtube / Spotify
Ph: Giulia Simonetti

Interview: https://youtu.be/ZPaLMhq2aj0

Estelle Baldé (Belgium)

The songwriter Estelle Baldé aspires to live her passion for music to the fullest and let her heart be guided by what she desires, especially with her debut EP "Desire of the Heart" released during the pandemic. A first project - with sunny sounds - earned her an invitation from the International Organization of the Francophonie in Dubai in 2021.

SOCIALS: Instagram / Facebook / Youtube

Ph: Giulia Simonetti

Interview: https://youtu.be/OzdXzx1vobg

Jeremy Pascal (Austria)

Jeremy Pascal is not one person but a collective; an idea, not an individual; the sum of its parts. Reflecting the influences of all four members of this young band from Vienna, Jeremy Pascal’s songs - written together by bandmates Law Wallner, Lukas Handlbauer, Michael Tauschmann and Tino Romana, merge the experiences of their individual lives into stories that explore their collective past with a wistful look into the future.

SOCIALS: Website / Facebook / Instagram / Youtube / Spotify

Ph: Giulia Simonetti

Interview: https://youtu.be/oED0N2Vf80s

No Funciona (Spain)

Friends since high school, Martina, Paula, Esther and Pol joined together to play their favourite music. From the necessity of expressing themselves, they started to write their own songs and released their first single "Todo Mal Nada Bien" in 2022. Since then, they have released two more songs: "Monopoly" and "LA DE LA RADIO", and have performed several times in Barcelona's local clubs and public spaces.

SOCIALS: Instagram / Youtube / Tiktok

Ph: Giulia Simonetti

Interview: https://youtu.be/q5-taedjN3U

Sergio Gomez (Spain)

Sergio Gómez is a 25-year-old composer and singer from Malaga (Spain). His music explores the plains of Soul, Funky and RnB, through Acid Jazz and Hip-Hop, with references such as Stevie Wonder, Snarky Puppy, José James, D'Angelo and Moonchild, among others. "On My Mind" is the first single from what will be his debut album.

SOCIALS: Website / Facebook / Instagram / Youtube / Spotify

Ph: Giulia Simonetti

Interview: https://youtu.be/3fgEU4QsT3w

Shunaji (Italy/United Kingdom)

Shunaji is a rapper, vocalist and producer hailing from Rome, currently based in London. Her innovative musical style blends jazz-influenced hip-hop with funk, soul and psychedelic flavours, and has gained her recognition from the British Music Collection, the Help Musicians MOBO Awards and BBC Radio hosts including Jamz Supernova.

SOCIALS: Website / Facebook / Instagram / Youtube / Tiktok
Ph: Giulia Simonetti

Interview: https://youtu.be/UNuDGlSCpXw

The Pamphlets (Ukraine)

Founded in 2020 in Kyiv, Ukraine, the band began their career with the single "Spohad”, highlighting the issues of human relationships during COVID-19. After winning a competition from Primat Production, the band recorded their first studio work and released it as the single "Kosy" (2021), revealing the theme of relationships and betrayal. The release of the single "Misto Marii" (2022), dedicated to Mariupol and the vocalist's family, attracted considerable attention to the band's work.

SOCIALS: Website / Facebook / Instagram / Youtube / Tiktok

Ph: Giulia Simonetti

Interview: https://youtu.be/blPfsL1XFIs

Venior (Finland/Germany)

VENIOR is a singer, songwriter, producer, painter and “trashion” designer from Finland, currently based in Berlin where she is working on new art projects. VENIOR describes her style as “Freeky Punky Pop”. She mixes wild, experimental beats with heavy bass sounds, powerful vocals and a strong message together with her mysterious and colourful art world which she describes as a portal into the “Neon Pussy Universe”.

SOCIALS: Website / Facebook / Instagram / Youtube / Spotify

Ph: Giulia Simonetti

Interview: https://youtu.be/YCGFHZNDqU4

Each winner received a cash prize of 800€ and the opportunity to perform in front of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The young musicians could also benefit from workshops and individual coaching sessions facilitated by representatives of Paradise Worldwide, Play it Loud, Music is Her Passion, SJN Agency and Vanzelf Sprekend Coaching. The workshops hosted at EYE2023 attracted many other young people and musicians who were attending the event and focused on “Knowing your rights” and “Knowing your WHY” as young musicians and change-makers, providing the bands with practical and valuable insights and learning.

Relieve the EEBC experience at EYE2023 through the final wrap-up video of the competition!