It’s already a game-changer for the global music world, but as Live Nation expands its ONES TO WATCH platform to Australia, local music lovers are about to unearth a wealth of homegrown, world-class global talent.
If you’re a fan of names like Dua Lipa, Halsey, BENEE, and Yungblud, then it might just be because of Live Nation’s ONES TO WATCH program. Currently live in the likes of the US, the UK, China, and New Zealand, ONES TO WATCH serves as a platform for rising artists to be introduced to music fans on a global scale, with exclusive interviews, playlists, live performances, and much more helping to turn local legends into global icons.
Having announced its expansion into Australia in late September, ONES TO WATCH is set to become a must-visit destination for local fans to discover their new favourite artists. Not only will the platform showcase rising local talent, but it’ll also provide these musicians, bands, and producers with professional career support, helping to turn them into Australia’s next big export.
“ONES TO WATCH has played an important part in developing some of today’s biggest breakout stars,” said Chris Akavi, Live Nation promoter and ONES TO WATCH curator. “By launching the platform in Australia, emerging artists are able to reach both local and global music fans at an incredibly fast pace.
“The ONES TO WATCH program and Live Nation are proud to be growing a platform that shines a light on up and coming talent and helps them to get on stages across the country.”
Of course, ONES TO WATCH isn’t just set to live as an interactive digital platform, with its official launch taking place last month in collaboration with the Government of South Australia’s Music Development Office and Music SA, resulting in a massive showcase of South Australian talent, including the likes of Colourblind, EAST AV3 and Teenage Joans.
The idea behind these quarterly showcases is to ensure that these emerging artists find themselves in front of key industry professionals, all while performing in front of a community of live music lovers.
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Obviously this showcase was a success for the ONES TO WATCH program, with Colourblind being named as November’s feature artist.
Check out ‘Changing Seasons’ by Colourblind
Having been on the scene a few years now, the Adelaide quartet have been making big steps recently, offering up a truly gutsy alt-rock sound, which pairs powerful melodies with big instrumentals. As the group explained, their sound was borne out of the hardcore explosion their city experienced a few years ago, but now exists to provide a truly magical experience for anyone who listens to them.
“There’s that feeling when you’re 16 or 17 and seeing that band you love, which is a fucking magical experience,” they explain of what they want to present to the crowd. “It’s something that you can’t explain to someone, and you’ll only know if you felt it. Our whole mission is to make someone feel like that.”
In fact, providing that magical experience to music lovers around the country is the true intention of ONES TO WATCH. In fact, since the platform launched in New Zealand last year, it has delivered four showcase events featuring 13 emerging artists, with more than 45 pieces of unique artist content from showcases and artist interviews, which have been shared globally with 8.7 million total marketing reach to date
Needless to say, the ONES TO WATCH platform harbours massive potential, not just as an amazing initiative, but also in terms of the stunning opportunities it can offer local Australian artists. After all, can you imagine starting a band today, only to be given a global spotlight in just a few years, playing showcases, and finding yourself on the cusp of global stardom?
With ONES TO WATCH, it’s not just possible, but it’s a reality for numerous artists, and while it remains to be seen just which next Aussie artist is set to be given this honour from Live Nation, half the fun is watching the journey that these local musicians are taking.
For more information regarding ONE TO WATCH, including spotlights on rising stars, and details on future showcases of its artists, be sure to head along to the official website.
