The longlist for the 2024 Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition has been announced…

These acts will now be whittled down to a shortlist of eight who will compete at April’s live finals for a slot on one of the main stages at this year’s Glastonbury Festival. The winners of the competition will also be awarded £5,000 and two runners up £2,500 from the PRS for Music Foundation Talent Development prize.

These 90 have already made it from thousands of entries, but who would you pick to play Glastonbury??

The full list is available on the Glastonbury site or in the YouTube playlist below. Good luck to the final 90 but in particular my own pick of three artists, Chubby Cat, Static Caravan and Shtëpi.

MUSIC LIKE DIRT SELECTIONS

CHUBBY CAT

Chubby Cat is like catching an unexpected ray of sunlight on a gloomy day. Her alt-pop gems have a ‘take me as I am’ positive energy. Whether flanked by three Irish drag queens in the gloriously celebratory ‘Not a vibe’ video or sat on a throne singing live, you can’t help but conclude – as one of her song hooks goes – ‘it’s so f***ing good.’

STATIC CARAVAN

‘British Railway Class170 Turbostar’ is off… destination, Castle Cary!
Static Caravan’s epic, train themed, electro-Krautrock single got my attention but the bands ability to hop and blend genres on each track hooked me in. Thumping 808’s give way to dreampop meets the Go! Team with Peter Hook on bass and the lyrics are equally compelling.

If a band can touch on diesel trains, Ceefax and the effect of GM on the colour of dogshit in five minutes, then I’m all in.

SHTËPI

Shtëpi stand out from the waves of art punk-alikes courtesy of some fine songwriting chops and a head-bashingly intense live show. With Theremin, jagged guitar riffs and a singer bellowing into a 1970s orange trim phone, they’d grace any Glasto stage.

MY APOLOGIES…

Each of the 30 initial judges helping out on the Glastonbury Emerging Talent competition listen to hundreds of artists, including a live and recorded song from each entry. I’m sure I’m not alone in finding it almost impossible to pick just THREE to put through.
I usually end up with around thirty who are more than worthy of going to the next round, and then spend a few weeks listening, rewatching and agonising…
I’m signed up for updates from all the artists below.

NYE BANFIELD
Saxophonist and composer Nye Banfield’s ‘Trails and Traces’ album will be remaining on my stereo all year.

M.R.L
With plays on BBC6music and a new single called ‘Strike’ just out, MRL more than deserved a place in the final three.

CARI
There’s only one track currently available from Cari but what a track! Exquisitely produced soul and with an incredibly slick ‘live version’ (below). One to watch.

COWZ

Glad to see Cowz getting support from John Kennedy, Tom Robinson and BBC Introducing. Electronic pop with a hint of Peaches.

SEMPER
A nu-jazz sextet based in Bristol with some glorious trumpet by Walter Feeney..

BETTER JOY

Another track with multiple plays on 6music already and sounding like an indie anthem for the summer. Better Joy are signed to Fader Amp records, founded by multi- million selling label boss Colin Barlow, who signed artists like The Yeah Yeah Yeahs.