Old Lyme, Conn. – August 3, 2011: Audio specialist Sennheiser announced that it has awarded the grand prize of its HearIAm campaign, which began last spring, to Boston-based ‘string rock’ quintet, Darlingside.
As part of the band’s prize package, Darlingside was awarded a showcase opportunity at a major music festival in Austin last March and performed an exclusive showcase for A&R executives at Universal Republic Records’ headquarters in New York in mid-July. Additionally, the band has won $10,000 in premium sound equipment from Sennheiser, a three-song demo deal from ‘the world’s first fan-run label,’ PickTheBand.com and professional mastering of the demo album by Universal Republic.
Darlingside was selected as a finalist in March, and was named the grand-prize winner in April. The band received votes from music fans on HearIAm.com and was chosen by a panel of accomplished judges from Sennheiser, PickTheBand.com and Universal Republic Records.
Darlingside has wasted no time in moving ahead into production of its debut album with one of the industry’s top producers: “We are now in the process of recording with Nathaniel Kunkel, a producer and engineer based in L.A.,” commented vocalist/bass guitarist David Senft. “The road with Sennheiser has been unbelievable,” he adds. “The HearIAm contest was really a shot in the dark for us but ended being such a great opportunity. People are still reaching out to us from our show in Austin, and we are still reaping the rewards of that experience.”
After uploading their tracks to Sennheiser’s HearIAm website, the band engaged in a proactive social media campaign and communicated with fans Facebook and other platforms. “More than anything, our fans have gotten so excited about our Sennheiser connection and opportunity this has provided for us,” Senft says. “This is a reminder that there are really great things ahead of us.”
Sound Equipment Fit for a Tour
The $10,000 sound equipment prize package from Sennheiser will help Darlingside –- which plays in excess of 110 shows per year -- establish a solid technical platform for their tours. “We decided to get a Sennheiser 2000 Series wireless system since we have so many instruments that get passed around on stage. We wanted these transitions to happen seamlessly and without interruption. The 2000 Series system is network controlled, and we can expand it as we grow.” The band also received HD 280 studio headphones as well as a pair of new e 906 wired microphones for their guitar amplifiers. “You can just hang these over the amps and they sound great -- one over the cello amp and one over the guitar amp. They are fuss free and we eliminated a couple of microphone stands,” Senft says.
For Darlingside, and the many other bands that have participated in the HearIAm campaign along the way, the contest has served as a platform to help propel their music careers forward. “The HearIAm campaign has been huge for us,” Senft concludes. “We've felt from the beginning that we needed to put our best foot forward at all times, and appreciate all that Sennheiser has done to provide these opportunities.”
HearIAm: Continuing on an Impressive Trajectory
Since launching last spring, Sennheiser's HearIAm campaign has provided artists and musicians with a unique opportunity to expose their music to thousands of fans across the Americas. Starting this month, Sennheiser lauches a new HearIAm campaign; this one highlighting the ‘visionaries of tomorrow’ who excel in their respective creative fields. The brand new campaign – which provides an in depth look at the work of six creative visionaries – explores how Sennheiser represents an integral component of each artist’s craft.
Following is a brief description of some of the key milestones over the course of the HearIAm campaign:
- In August 2010, Sennheiser completed the first phase of HearIAm as Kansas City-based rock band Trucker performed at Montreal's Osheaga 2010 festival alongside artists like Snoop Dogg and Sonic Youth.
- In October 2010, Columbia's The Hall Effect won the second phase of HearIAm, playing a fully attended showcase at New York City's CMJ Music Marathon.
- In December 2010, Mexico's Arquivolta won the third phase of HearIAm, performing in an exclusive, packed showcase for music fans in Mexico City.
- In January 2011, Virginia-based John Davidson won the Canadian Music Week phase of the contest, gaining an opportunity to play at one of Toronto's hottest venues: The Mod Club.
- In February 2011, Massachusetts-based Darlingside won the Austin phase of the contest, and was selected to play an exclusive showcase at The Stage on Sixth.
- In April of 2011, Darlingside became the grand-prize winner of the HearIAm initiative and was chosen to receive a three-song demo deal with Pick The Band, mastering and digital distribution with Universal Republic Records as well as an exclusive showcase at Universal Republic Records’ headquarters in New York, which took place in July.
- In August of 2011, Sennheiser will formally announce its new HearIAm campaign which highlights ‘the visionaries of tomorrow’ who excel in their respective creative fields.
