Industry news & advice blog

Here is Part Two of our blog dedicated to the unsigned & emerging talent which will be appearing at Leeds & Reading Festival this coming weekend. Earlier this week we introduced you to 3 hotly-tipped bands who will be performing on the BBC Introducing stage at both festival sites...and today we bring you 3 more bands to check out – Kinch, Milk White White Teeth, and Minnaars.

The Unsigned Guide team will be roaming around at Leeds Festival all weekend, aiming to catch as much unsigned talent as possible. Follow our Twitter updates from the festival here. And if you’re headed to Leeds as well then definitely worth checking out is the Thursday night entertainment courtesy of Leeds label Dance To The Radio. Alongside Blood Red Shoes and Wild Beasts, their line-up for the evening also consists of 3 unsigned bands; Bear Hands, Airship and Holy State. Hope to see you there!

Milk White White Teeth
www.myspace.com/milkwhitewhiteteeth
Relatively new on the block, Milk White White Teeth have only been playing together since December 2008, and Leeds & Reading will be their 7th & 8th gigs respectively. A single release through Dance To The Radio will hopefully be on the cards for the end of this year.

So will this be your first festival slot?
We played at Moorfest in Yorkshire earlier in August and that was our first festival. It was pretty exhilarating and we got a good response.

Obviously exciting stuff, what does this slot at Leeds/Reading mean to your band?
It’s just a great chance to win some people over and the idea of being on the same poster as some of the acts that are playing is passed any of our expectations for where we’d be this summer.  A few of us have been going to the festival regularly for the last few years and there’s always been a bit of envy when looking at the poster so it’s great to actually make it to print.

Are there any doors in particular you hope this festival slot it will open for you?
We just want to play and have a good time. Things are going really well and the best thing is getting a good response from an audience. I think that’s our only aim. Take each game as it comes and remember it’s a game of three quarters.

Is there one particular highlight of your career as a band so far you can share with us?
Hearing that we were playing at Reading and Leeds was pretty exciting and we had a good party.   Another would be meeting like minded people who enjoy your music and want to do things for you! We’ve met two producers that are the nicest guys you’ll ever meet and really enjoy what we do, so meeting them would definitely be a highlight.

Do you have any words of advice for bands hoping to bag a major festival slot?
Don’t compromise on what you want to do as musicians and enjoy yourself.  This band has enjoyed a lot of attention in a very small space of time but it’s worth remembering that we’ve been playing in bands for almost ten years so it does take time and a lot of hard work.  There are times when it’s best to ignore everything and dedicate four or five months to band practices and writing.  Also never have a sax solo.

And any general festival survival tips?!
Moderation is key. A lot of people burn out too quickly and suffer for the rest of the weekend.

Minnaars
www.myspace.com/minnaars
The current line-up of Leicester band Minnaars has been together for a year now. They have independent deals in the bag in France, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium and Japan, but nothing concrete in the UK as yet.

Is this Leeds/Reading slot you first major festival performance or have you played any others?
Well, we played Summer Sundae Festival in Leicester not long ago. We played the main stage on the Saurday. It was bloody terrifying. But I think we pulled it off. It was just surreal walking out and seeing all those faces.

So what does this slot at Leeds/Reading mean to your band?
It means so much. And that sounds like crap, but it really does. For a band at our level to be given the exposure and chance to present our glitter adorned cadavers to the masses on this level really can’t be taken lightly…although we did have to cancel three of our European dates to play. So, although I’m happy the kids in Paris, Lille and Luxembourg are devastated… haha!

Are there any doors in particular you hope the slot at Leeds/Reading may open for you?
Well, it’s the ultimate dream isn’t it? For this to be the springboard into the glossy pages and D-list celebrity girlfriends.  Anyway, I digress…We would be pleased with any doors being opened to be honest. Some decent management would go down well. It’s starting to become a bit of a full time job trying to cope at the moment. And a decent deal… with money for new equipment!

Is there one particular highlight of your career as a band so far you can share with us?
There’s been a few. Mat Horne (of Gavin & Stacey fame) has become a bit of a one man PR machine for us. He has been mentioning us in loads of magazines and interviews, and even mentioned us in The Guardian! Playing just underneath Pivot in Luxembourg was good. As was Summer Sundae. being Also being produced by Tom Woodhead of Forward Russia. Not to mention being asked to play Reading and Leeds. And being played on Radio 1. Ummm… can I just say ‘all of it’!

Kinch
www.myspace.com/kinchuk
Named winners of Leeds Bright Young Things 2008, Kinch are currently unsigned but perhaps their slot this weekend will change all that!

Is Leeds/Reading your first major festival slot?
We play a lot of festivals but this is by far the biggest.

So what does this slot at Leeds/Reading mean to your band?
We hope it's the start of something big and that we're finally getting some recognition for what we do.

And what do you hope to gain from this festival appearance?
We're hoping it will give us a chance at some national radio play. Amazingly, it's already brought some attention from labels we were interested in -and we haven't even played yet!

Is there one particular highlight of your career as a band so far?
We licensed a single to a small indie label last year and it surprised us all by going in at Number 10 in the Indie Chart, then climbing to Number 7 the following week. There are many other highlights but we are unable to share them with you at this time!

Any handy hints for bands/artists wanting to play at a major festival?
Think about what you're doing onstage and off, be organised, make an effort with people and get your name out there by any means necessary. Most of all - be good!

And any general festival survival tips?!
The ol' Mexican shower kit: deodorant, chewing gum, wet wipes -you will know why when the time comes!