New BBC Introducing show for Solent's musical talent

With nearly 600,000 unique tracks uploaded to the BBC Introducing website and over 150,000 artists registered since its launch in 2007, BBC Introducing provides a network dedicated to supporting the best emerging talent from across the UK and a platform to propel them onto the national stage.

BBC Introducing Solent presenter Stephanie said, “Joining the BBC Introducing family is a dream come true, I’m still pinching myself! I am passionate about sharing new music and finding out about the journey that these troubadours are making, come and join me on my voyage of discovery! For me discovering a new band or artist is like being let in on a secret and I’m very honoured and excited to launch this show and share these secrets with BBC Radio Solent listeners. The broad range of talent in terms of originality, musicianship and song writing from across Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight is enough to strike a chord with any music fan. I can’t wait to showcase these acts. I have been a BBC Introducing South listener for a long time and I look forward to sharing the new music baton and enabling us to cover even more new music ground.”

Listeners can expect exclusive live lounge sessions from BBC Radio Solent’s newly refurbished central studio, with a full rig including sound mixing desk, top of the range lighting and cameras plus a stage fit for the likes of world touring acts! There will be interviews with the talented live lounge artists and bands – finding out their story, asking questions and even playing a silly game or two with them. Plus not forgetting the weekly gig guide, supporting live music across the BBC Radio Solent patch.

Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight are home to award winning festivals from Bestival (UK Festival Award for Best Major Festival 2015) to Isle of Wight Festival (Winner of Headline Performance of the Year 2015) to Wickham (won Best Festival in category of capacity under 15,000 at the prestigious Live UK Music Business Awards 2015). Radio Solent will be scouring the length and breadth of the Solent patch to deliver the very best in new and unsigned talent and give these acts a platform to reach the heights of these festivals. This hugely talented region has no shortage of upcoming and fresh musicianship from dance to indie to folk to roots to blues to Americana and everything in between.

On the first BBC Introducing Solent show singer songwriter, Richard Morris, will be in session in the brand new live lounge. After releasing his award winning debut EP "Await the Sunset" on a European tour, Richard Morris was greeted back to the UK with a host of headline bills and main stage appearances at major festivals and venues across the country.

August will be a big moment for Richard as he sets to prove himself in the big arenas headlining at this year’s Victorious and Wickham festivals and opening the main arena for GuvnaB, alongside Phillipa Hannah, Leeland and Seth Lakeman to name but a few at this year’s Creation Fest. Playing live for BBC Introducing Solent he's now ready to give us the first glimpse into his greatly anticipated second EP, "Stay Alive.”

It has been said that music’s main function is to create community and with such a talented region BBC Radio Solent has no doubt that this will form an important new music community in Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight.

BBC Introducing Solent will be launched by Steph  Newenhouse. With a name like  Newenhouse of course it’s only natural that she comes from her very own new music show ‘New in the House’. This began life on Shoreditch Radio, later being picked up by 93.7 Express FM in Portsmouth.

New BBC Introducing show for Solent's musical talent

TX Saturday 30 July 2016, 8-9pm, BBC Radio Solent (weekly programme)