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Andrew Marston and Danni Hunt present their 'ones to watch out for' and look back at a year's worth of success stories.

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Andrew Marston's Top Ten

It鈥檚 our annual Christmas Countdown 鈥 as we look back at the success stories from Herefordshire & Worcestershire 鈥 and ahead to the 'ones to watch out for in 2020'.

This is the first complete year we've had two shows every weekend, which has meant we've played twice as much music!

Of the 1,040 tracks we've broadcast - a benchmark quality test in itself - we've actually been compiling our countdown on a weekly basis, whittling it down to just 10.

Observations from this year are - production is key, women are leading the way, it's mainly soloists that have cut through and lots of our artists have moved away - yet are having bigger success here in their hometown.

#1: Ellis - All That She Wants

#1: Ellis - All That She Wants
Not many musicians can say they have millions of YouTube plays to their name.

21-year-old Ellis, who hails from Bromsgrove, is quickly making a name for himself as a producer in the house music scene across the UK and Europe.

He cites EDM influences to his work including Oliver Heldens, Zedd, Martin Garrix and Calvin Harris.

His remix of Ed Sheeran鈥檚 鈥楽hape of You鈥 went viral and had received fifty million views within just a matter of weeks.

His compositions take months to create - so for his sheer persistence, production and effort, as well as having the biggest song of 2018, we proudly crowned Ellis as 鈥榦ur one to watch out for鈥 in 2019.

"For the first time in our 14 year history of doing our festival ten tops, no artist has ever been our number one for two years running...until now.

"His remix and original production work has consistently been high - and any number of his creations could have clinched the top spot but this remix of an Ace Of Base classic is enough to make even the biggest Christmas scrooge run to the dancefloor.

"This is the first time a remix has been featured in our end-of-year countdown."

#2: Lost Tiger - Heaven

#2: Lost Tiger - Heaven
Lost Tiger are identical twins Zac & Alfie Jev.

The 21-year-old pop/dance duo have opened for the likes of Sigala, Example, Tinie Tempah, RAYE, Jack Maynard and the Hoosiers. Since then, they've been working hard in the studio on their new tracks.

They've played music together for most of their lives and, when they finished school, turned down a load of offers from good universities to pursue a career in music.

"When I first met these guys, I said 'great guys, great melodies, great live show' but this last year they've turned into one of the fastest growing bands in the Midlands."

#3: India Parkman - Hotel Room!

#3: India Parkman - Hotel Room!
Ledbury's India Parkman was born in Singapore, to a Chinese-Indian mother and British father, before moving to the UK at the age of three.

She started learning piano just 12 months later. She says "being a poor sight-reader, I learnt all my set pieces by heart and began to recreate songs I'd heard on the radio or TV by ear."

Soon she was experimenting with chord progressions and melodies and had written her first song.

Her influences include Coldplay, Adele and Lana Del Rey discovered a love for A capella at university and it's her dream to write, and perhaps produce, for a living.

鈥淗aunting and beautiful melodies, delivered with a spine tingling performance. Unusually - and rarely - she's now an artist who's featured in my top tens two years in a row.鈥

#4: Laura Christopher - Better Off

#4: Laura Christopher - Better Off
Since a very early age, Droitwich's Laura Christopher knew she wanted to be a professional singer - but never had the confidence...until now.

After Sixth Form, she went to audition for a record label in Leeds.听Because of a lack of social media presence, she was turned away - and has been spamming YouTube and Facebook ever since!

She's now performed a variety of gigs, including corporate events, weddings, pubs, cafe's, charity events and private parties.

Now, aged 22, she's looking to take the word by storm with her Ella Eyre, Zara Larsson, Miley Cyrus-inspired debut single 'Better Off'.

"Instantly, it feels like you've heard this track 1,000 times before. Not in a bad way - in the way you're convinced it's been in the charts. Well, it hasn't. Until now!"

#5: Runrummer - Soul Wrinkles

#5: Runrummer - Soul Wrinkles
25-year-old Livi Morris started Runrummer at the end of 2018 and has since blossomed to recording her debut EP at the renowned Cafe Music Studio in East London, where she's now based.

But it all began, for the Bromsgrove musician, in her teens when she landed the opportunity to write topline vocals for dance giants Showtek and The Chainsmokers.

She says her influences come from a mix of '80s electro-pop, the musical legends of Kate Bush and Bowie, alongside recent acts including Billie Eilish with her lyrics confronting struggles with sexuality, gender identity and mental health.

Livi took the name of her project from the Birmingham Rum Runner nightclub that helped launch Duran Duran and Dexy Midnight Runners in the '70s & '80s - a venue regularly frequented by her dad!

鈥淎fter her live session at the Worcester Music Festival I said it was gearing up to be one of the best performances of 2019 - and I wasn't wrong. Here we are, at the end of the year, and her energy, enthusiasm and chart-topping tracks are still echoing around my head. A gem of a discovery."

#6: ENY - Die Like This

#6: ENY - Die Like This
Sharon Kosobucka, AKA ENY, started writing electronic and pop in 2017 but waited a year and a half before releasing her music to the public.

Originally from Poland, ENY (an acronym for 'Everyone Needs Yahweh') moved to Hereford, with the Freedom Church last year, spreading the word of God through dance music.

She's now performed gigs in Germany, Poland and England.

"Cutting edge beats from an artist who puts as much energy into her live shows as she does her productions."

#7: Jules Rendell - Old Friend

#7: Jules Rendell - Old Friend
Jules Rendell fuses her soulful roots with electronic soundscapes with hints of pop and funk.

The singer/songwriter, who grew up in Bromsgrove, has most recently been found performing with indie band Foals in the 91热爆's world famous Live Lounge in London.

She says through her own mental health struggles she's learned a lot about using her own imagination as a positive force in her life - and she uses every song to remind herself about keeping healthy in her mind.

"Her production is in a league of its own with incredible power and inspiration behind the music and lyrics."

#8: Tazmin Barnes - 9 More Lives

#8: Tazmin Barnes - 9 More Lives
Tazmin Barnes is a 17-year-old singer/songwriter, from Worcestershire, who grew up in China.

It was there where she first started singing and modelling, including for brands such as Disney, gaining TV and radio experience.

She's performed at a variety of festivals including Upton, Livestock, Worcester Music Festival, AsparaFest, BikeFest and the Big Family Festival.

She also accompanied Chinese X Factor winner Mary-Jess Leaverland on various UK tours and featured on Mary-Jess' EP.

Tazmin's debut release peaked at #16 in the iTunes pop chart and it was a real pleasure to invite her to join us at the Worcester's Christmas Lights switch on in 2017.

"It was one of the most upbeat sets from a real star in the making - but this new single has just proved her ever-evolving talent having achieved one of the best songs we've received this year."

#9: Norbs Blade X Garrington T Jones - Kings And Slaves

#9: Norbs Blade X Garrington T Jones - Kings And Slaves
Norbs Blade is a 31-year-old rapper who's living in Worcester.

He was born in Romania - where he first started writing rap music, aged 14, before moving to Hungary, four years later, penning tracks in Hungarian.

At 23, he stopped making music and, five years ago, moved to England and landed a job with Worcester City Council as a refuse collector.

He's recently decided to make music again, but this time in English as "it's a challenge to do it in a different language", recording at the Old Smithy (the studios made famous by Wizzard's 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday').

His latest single features a musician he met at our Ledbury recording session, Garrington T Jones.

Garrington is an accomplished instrumentalist, vocalist and harmonica player - from Malvern - who can normally be found playing acoustic blues, folk and roots music.

His debut album was completed in the Abbey Road Vinyl Master Suite and every year, for the past decade, he's embarked on an Australian tour.

"Nobody foresaw the incredible success that Lil Nas X achieved when he teamed up with Billy Ray Cyrus - going on to have the longest-running number one in US chart history. This collaboration is of similar quality with real credibility behind the lyrics."

#10: Ben Austen - Don't Let Me Go

#10: Ben Austen - Don't Let Me Go
Ben Austin is a singer/songwriter from Redditch who's played guitar and piano for most of his life.

He started producing his first tracks a decade ago after listening heavily to artists such as John Mayer, The 1975, Maroon 5, Charlie Puth, Ed Sheeran, The Chainsmokers, Coldplay and The Weeknd.

"Incredible production, catchy melody and could so easily be in any national chart countdown from a musician who's continuously put out first-class material."

Danni Hunt's Top Ten

While Andrew counts down his top ten tunes from 2019, I look back at the biggest success stories of the last 12 months.

#1: Becky Hill

#1: Becky Hill
Discovered right here on 91热爆 Hereford & Worcester, Bewdley's Becky Hill first sent in her music to us on the 1 November 2010.

Since having regular airplay on our 91热爆 Introducing show, she auditioned for the Voice - and landed the programme's first #1 single.

2019 has seen Bewdley鈥檚 Becky Hill continue to wow audiences at festivals and on live TV and radio with the quality of her live vocals, mainly while accompanying world famous producers and DJs on hit collaborations.

However, this year also saw a successful solo tour for Becky and a string of solo releases.

She鈥檚 also toured extensively with Pete Tong and The Heritage Orchestra which brings classic dance tracks to live audiences with a live, orchestral twist.

There have also been lives dates accompanying Craig David and appearances at pretty much every major festival in the UK and Europe this summer.

In September, she released a mini album of original solo tracks.

2020 sees Becky Hill firstly touring in support of The Script before embarking on her own tour dates late spring and summer festival dates such as the Isle of Wight Festival are already in the diary.

#2: Lucy May Walker

#2: Lucy May Walker
Lucy May Walker is a singer songwriter from Redditch but her musical journey has been taking her to places far and wide.

This year she has continued to propel herself by making the most of every opportunity to perform.

She鈥檚 been on tour in support of Wet Wet Wet.

We took her to Big Feastival with 91热爆 Introducing this summer where her set received a brilliant response. So much so, she sold out of CDs!

Lucy has continued to busk around London and write and record new tracks which have received airplay.

It was a chance encounter with 91热爆 Radio 2鈥檚 Jeremy Vine while busking at Charing Cross a couple of years ago that has lead to further opportunities on radio and television this year. In December, Lucy performed live on Channel 5鈥檚 The Wright Stuff, which is hosted by Jeremy.

#3: Inwards

#3: Inwards
Inwards is the alias of Kristian Shelley, a multi-instrumentalist and music programmer who lives in a log cabin just outside Pershore.

He signed to Small Pond Records after capturing attention with a series of DIY releases.

There鈥檚 been support from Steve Lamacq, Tom Ravenscroft and Donn Letts on 91热爆 6Music, from Huw Stephens and Phil Taggart on 91热爆 Radio 1 and from Max Reinhardt on 91热爆 Radio 3.

Inwards has also played live up and down the country, including the Worcester Music Festival, Nozstock, his own UK tour dates and a gig in Berlin.

#4: Jay Newman

#4: Jay Newman
Worcester House Music DJ Jay Newman runs Pro-ject, which has put on warehouse-size events in Worcester, and is also a resident DJ for Ministry of Sound.

This year he has been touring as the official afterparty DJ for Formula One, playing on Superyachts and places including Abu Dhabi and Monaco.

Jay spent the summer of 2019 in Ibiza managing line-ups at Ibiza Rocks, for the second year running, and put on his first festival on the Worcester high street.

#5: Sam Ostler

#5: Sam Ostler
There aren鈥檛 many venues in the UK the Redditch singer songwriter hasn鈥檛 performed at, this year, following two high profile support slots.

Sam first embarked on dates with disco sensation The Stylistics, which included a date at the O2 Arena in London, before heading out later in the year on a 35 date tour with The Three Degrees.

#6: Ellie Goulding

#6: Ellie Goulding
Ellie Goulding is听Herefordshire's most successful-ever export - having achieved more top 40 records than the Pretenders and Mott The Hoople put together.

Or - this programmes most famous discovery.

2019 has seen Kington鈥檚 songwriter release a string of singles and step back into the spotlight having had a couple of years away. First came Flux, then Hate Me and Sixteen.

However, her fourth album which had been expected for release this year has not yet come out.

Personally, this year has seen Ellie marry Caspar Jopling and speak out over climate change.

#7: 220 Kid

#7: 220 Kid
Weobley鈥檚 William Graydon has taken a step out, on his own, from his duo OMYO to launch his debut solo production project, 220 Kid.

This year has seen him working with some of the best producers on the planet, reflected by the fact he鈥檚 the only artist to have been picked up by his label, Polydor, in 2019.

He鈥檚 currently collaborating with or writing for Camelphat, MK, James Hype and others.

Current releases of his have had support from David Guetta, Don Diablo, Oliver Heldens, Fedde Le Grand听and Meduza.

#8: Harry Styles

#8: Harry Styles
Redditch-born Harry Styles, whose parents also lived near Evesham for a time, released a host of singles from his sophomore album this year and really set up his stall as a solo artist.

This year has also seen Harry front campaigns for luxury Italian brand Gucci and take on TV presenting duties on Saturday Night Live and The Late Late Show in the U.S.

The album itself, Fine Line, was released in December.

A tour to support the album, named Love On Tour, is scheduled to take place throughout 2020.

While Andrew reflects on the artists who've sent their music in via the 91热爆 Music Introducing uploader, I'm reflecting this area's biggest success stories.

#9: Nature of Wires

#9: Nature of Wires
This year, Hereford electronic band Nature of Wires have continued to gig up and down the country and collaborate with the best of the UK鈥檚 synth-lead acts.

However, it鈥檚 their achievements in other countries that have been the highlight.

They achieved a top ten entry on the German alternative chat, D.A.C, when 'Try' reached #9.

The follow up single 'Human Nature' then reached #14.

They also travelled to Germany, in 2019, playing gigs in Berlin, Cologne and Leipzig.

#10: Sasha McVeigh

#10: Sasha McVeigh
This year, singer/songwriter Sasha, from Hereford, released the first single from her forthcoming EP, Rock Bottom.

The song and accompanying music video had great success on TV charts in Nashville where she now lives and plays residencies and gigs week-in week-out at venues up and down its famous Broadway.

A real highlight of 2019 has been an invitation to play at Nashville鈥檚 world famous Bluebird Caf茅.

In October 2012, she had stood in line outside the very same venue with her mum in the rain for the chance to perform just one song on its stage.

To be invited to play there this year shows how far Sasha has come since securing a green card and making the move stateside, in 2016, in pursuit of her dreams.

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  • Sat 28 Dec 2019 20:00

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