Indie band wins place in finals of national contest
A BRIDGEND indie band has beaten hundreds of other acts to make it to the final of a prestigious national competition.
Just Drive – made up of childhood friends Chris Bowen-Jones, Ryan David, James Orwin and Daniel Goodall – have been dreaming of playing to huge audiences with the hope of finally being able to give up their day jobs.
The band is now the only finalist from Wales, and one out of eight, in line to win Firestone’s Road to the Main Stage, a competition that nurtures grassroots music, with the aim of sending them to a UK leading festival.
Lead guitarist Chris said: “Winning the competition would be a dream come true. It would push us on to the next level and would be such a significant moment for us all.”
The band has already earned rave reviews on BBC Radio Wales and has released two singles, with a third in the pipeline.
“We have been playing for so many years now and have always wanted to see our name up in lights, which might just happen with Firestone,” added Chris.
Other prizes include a VW Transporter Van for a year, in-store credit at a Professional Music Technology store, brand-new gear from Orange Amplification and a contribution towards the creation of an EP.
If the band won the competition, it would join other Bridgend acts, Fire Fences and John Nicholas, who won in 2017 and 2019 respectively, in the hall of fame.
In five years, Firestone has given away more than 160 hours of studio recording time, and more recently gave the 2017 and 2018 winners the chance to play at the All Points East festival in London, providing exposure to help develop their musical careers.
Just Drive’s fate now lies in the hands of the public, who will decide the overall winner by casting their votes on www.firestone. roadtothemainstage.co.uk by November 13.