As each year progresses, we're exposed to more diverse emerging talent in the musical landscape than ever before. Some of these acts have been on the grind for years and with recognition, will be the new faces (and leaders) of their respective genres - in turn, leading future generations after them - much like their heroes did before they picked up their own instruments.When it comes to uncovering new talent, Wall Of Sound always has our finger on the pulse in the heavy/alternative world and we love showcasing fresh and exciting bands across our platforms. In the guitar industry, Fender found a way to give back to next generations of virtuosos with their Fender Next initiative - an artist development program recognizing rising talent pushing guitar forward in music and culture.Their Class of 2024 was announced recently following an influx of over 1000 submissions from aspiring musicians across the world - including Australia - and the concept intrigued us so much, we had to find out more about Fender Next - and what their representatives look out for when fresh talent comes riffing.Director of Artist Marketing, Helena Ngo, joined us for a chat all about the program - so you can get a leg up ahead of the 2025 season...Hey Helena, thanks for taking the time to chat. For those living under a rock, give us a rundown Fender Next and how it started.Fender Next is our artist development initiative focused on the future faces of guitar. Fender has had a long legacy of forming deep connections with artists and providing them with the best tools for their creative expression. For example: Leo Fender connected directly with guitarists back in the day, shared his inventions, and dug deep to understand how our products could best serve artists needs.. We view Fender Next as another way that we’re able to connect with and demonstrate a strong commitment to Fender artists, especially those early in their careers who can benefit from our direct support during a stage of growth.
The program was born from our desire to spotlight those we believe are pushing the boundaries of guitar music and culture – right now and into the future.
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Helena Ngo (Director of Artist Marketing, FMIC)[/caption]What does being drafted into the program entail? When you’re invited into Fender Next, we are making the commitment to play an important role in your development as an artist. We kick things off with a welcome pack for every Fender Next artist, which includes a guitar and accessories curated to each artist. Then we immediately jump into discussions with each artist to discuss ways Fender can best support them. A good starting point is finding out what Fender gear best meets their current needs. From there, we look at how we can help amplify their stories and introduce them to our audience of 16 million social followers, keeping an open line of communication as a go-to partner for them. We’re also excited to highlight each artist in a Fender Next dedicated content series that will run throughout this year.What exactly does Fender look for in potential participants? We curate each class of Fender Next artists with a range of genres, cultures, regions, and styles in mind.
The common and crucial factor is that these artists have guitar as a core part of their musical identity. Their dedication to guitar and proficiency as a player is important. We love to see how they’re pushing boundaries and creating waves in their own communities.
Who is on the decision panel and what's tell us a bit about their industry experience?Our entire artist marketing team acts as an internal A&R department for this program. Each team member has input on who to consider each year for Fender Next, with a smaller committee having the tough job of narrowing it down from over 1000 submissions to 25 artists in the class. People on our team consist of lifelong guitar/bass players with deep experience at Fender, and the wider industry at record labels, in artist management, or in-house at global brands’ marketing and artist relations teams. With that combined experience, we get a pretty well-rounded look at each candidate and can determine who best reflects Fender and the future of guitar. It's not just metal shredmasters you're looking for - a variety of notable acts like Australian indie upcomers Royel Otis, TikTok sensation Gayle, Japan's charismatic w.o.d. and US singer/songwriter Jawny are some of the New Generation chosen for the Class of 2024 - What was it about each of these acts that got them over the line?Fender Next has historically focused on newer acts that bring freshness and excitement to the guitar community. We love to see Fender Next artists pioneering a path forward in their own unique approach and style. Playing guitar well is table stakes – what really brings them over the line is the impact we believe they can bring to the guitar landscape, while paving new paths for aspiring guitarists.[gallery type="square" columns="2" ids="https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/FENDER_FenderNext24_ClassAnnouncement_1x1_DESIGN-OPTION-1-_-FRAME-21.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/FENDER_FenderNext24_ClassAnnouncement_1x1_DESIGN-OPTION-1-_-FRAME-2.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/FENDER_FenderNext24_ClassAnnouncement_1x1_DESIGN-OPTION-1-_-FRAME-22.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/FENDER_FenderNext24_ClassAnnouncement_1x1_DESIGN-OPTION-1-_-FRAME-7.jpg|"] Supporting and nurturing the Next Generation of musicians is a key factor in the ongoing growth of the local (and national) scene. Why is it important for Fender to constantly give back to these communities?The answer is simple: the more the guitar community expands, the better we’ll all be for the long run. It’s amazing to look back at all of the amazing guitar heroes across Fender’s 74 years.
In that time, we’ve seen Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour, Kurt Cobain, Jim Root, Mike McCready, John 5, Tash Sultana, The Linda Lindas, Turnstile, and countless other bands/guitarists who have left their mark.
But we also look forward to what the next 74 years will bring, and want to promote the discovery of new, inspiring talent. Australia's underground scene is an untapped market filled with potential virtuosos just waiting for their chance to shine - how can they get started for the Class of 2025?Put in the work! Demonstrate how Fender is authentically key to you and your sound. We love to see when hard work has paid off in the incredible creativity and performances we see from Fender Next candidates.We want to get to know your story and what you’re building. It helps us understand where we can play a part in your growth and trajectory.And keep an eye on our Fender social accounts for the open call submission process. We do review every artist submission that comes in. If you have a manager, agent, or record label, you can also see if these reps can help with the submission and put it on the radar of their Fender artist marketing contacts.Any fun facts about the program you'd like to mention?Since the program started in 2019, we’re proud to see that Fender Next artists have gone on to win several ARIA (i.e. Tash Sultana, Budjerah, Lime Cordiale, Ruel) and GRAMMY (i.e. Wet Leg, Phoebe Bridgers, Madison Cunningham, Larkin Poe) awards, play main stages of massive festivals, grace magazine covers, connect with millions of new fans online, and some alumni have even evolved over time into Fender Signature artists!Get to know the Class of 2024 below and start prepping for the 7th edition in 2025.Interview by Paul 'Browny' Brown@brownypaul
For more information on Fender Next - visit the website
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6m7eOaDfXX5KGztZH5OYUD?si=b5400d13826547c1&pt=7be706b77b94c8199113552d7e95e6e3https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D05N7M45s0o
