Studios 301 gives five acts 40 hours free studio time

Studios 301 has announced the five acts who have won 40 hours (eight hours each) free studio time at its Sydney and Byron Bay recording studios.

Scott Saunders of acid jazz band Directions In Groove (DIG), Terepai Richmond (Founder of DIG), Michael Di Francesco aka Touch Sensitive and Peret Von Sturmer aka DJ Mako have formed a supergroup of sorts. They’ll be recording an LP covering electro, jazz and soul genres.

triple j favourite Eleanor Dunlop will continue her relationship with 301 producer Simon Todkill, who produced her single Disguise at 301’s Alexandria studio. Of her time with Todkill, Dunlop said: “I find working with Simon Todkill to be a very easy and fluid process, I’m always in awe of how intensely he works in the studio and how he seems to bring something together so effortlessly.”

Byron hip hop artist Nastaij was the winner of the hip hop category for the Right Out TV Awards in 2013 and was also RAW Artists’ Byron Bay Musician of the Year last year.

Sydney singer-songwriter and self-taught pianist Odette is 301 Studios 301’s youngest comp winner at 16-years-old.

New Zealand-born singer-songwriter, dancer and multi-instrumentalist Eden Mulholland is finishing his second solo album. Recorded in New York and Los Angeles with Victor Van Vugt (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds/PJ Harvey), Mulholland will use his free hours at Studios 301 to get the album mastered.

The competition was to celebrate 301’s social media milestone of reaching 40,000 likes on Facebook. Studios 301 now has 41,303 likes.

The five winners were chosen based on merit after sending through a link to their music and a sentence on why they should win. They have each been awarded eight hours free studio time, which they can use in one session in the next 12 months.

“We really wanted to thank our loyal followers on social media, for helping us reach 40,000 fans,” Anthony Garvin, GM Studios 301 told TMN. “As a result we were given nearly 700 entries and feel the Top 5 are an excellent cross section of the talent we are exposed to every day at 301.”

Coldplay, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, Flume, Angus & Julia Stone and Matt Corby have all recorded at Studios 301.

Studios 301 has told TMN it may make the competition an annual undertaking.