A group of teens from Lewisham and New Cross aim to be as big as Beyoncé after winning a nationwide search for musical talent.
Floodliners — five friends aged from 15 to 18 — won the songwriting award in the Next Brit Thing, a contest for 11 to 19-year-olds backed by the Brit Awards, the UK music industry and the Government. They beat 36,000 entries to make it to last night’s finals which featured 13 acts at IndigO2 in Greenwich. Judges included boy band McFly, operatic tenor Noah Stewart, soprano Laura Wright and Columbia Records boss Mike Smith.
The band — Lizzy Dayo and Ellis Dupuy, both 16, Jody Mattan, 18, and Georgia South and Daniel Carte, both 15 — met at a Goldsmiths College songwriting workshop. Guitarist and singer Jody said: “We play our own instruments and write our own songs. We’re a mix of pop and funk and there is definitely a gap in the market for someone like us. We’d love to be as big as someone like Beyoncé.”
The contest was organised by the British Phonographic Industry, the body behind the Brit Awards. Floodliners will receive support and advice from the BPI and thousands of pounds worth of musical equipment.
