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KTEE

KTEE has been singing since the moment she spoke her first word and hasn’t stopped since. Countless hours of her childhood were spent in her tiny room. This is where she trained her voice on her own, relying only on her mother’s bulky red tape recorder. One pop song after another was recorded, listened to, analyzed and re-sung until she was fully satisfied with the sound. In fact, 102 recordings were collected on her treasured cassettes to the point of breaking – literally.​

Heavily influenced by her parents’ desire to see her with a degree that offered “proper career prospects” KTEE studied at the University of Vienna where she continued working on her singing skills – this time without her tape recorder and not at all alone. She not only had voice coaches to help with voice training, but also roommates and neighbors to annoy with her “gugugus” and “nenenenes” in other words, singing exercises. Once, her “understanding” neighbors even threatened to call the police for noise disturbance! – but she couldn’t and wouldn’t be stopped.

She successfully qualified in a singing competition, which can be viewed kind of the beginning of her career, since she got to know her present producer there. ​

After living abroad (Ireland), where she discovered her passion for songwriting, and the search for her musical identity started anew. “It took some time until I found my place in the world of music, but I’ve never stopped following my dream.” ​​

Her second single (2017) “Rollercoaster” became semifinalist of the ISC 2017 (International Songwriting Competition). In this song, KTEE compares a rollercoaster ride with the ups and downs one experiences in a romantic relationship. ​

In February 2018 KTEE released her third single „So What“ and for which she got airplay on some UK radio stations. This song reflect the singer’s own development from a shy child full of self-doubts to a woman who knows her own mind and is strong and confident. „So What“ became her life motto. “Do what you love, haters gonna hate anyway. Follow your dreams, stay strong. And if you fall, stand up, shake of the dust and keep going“, so KTEE. ​

In January 2019 her single “Melody” was released in which she uses MUSIC as a metaphor for love. Melody also became semi-finalist of the ISC. The song got airplay in Germany, England and Switzerland. ​

In July 2019 her single “Rich” was released. The catchy mood-lifting song is easy to sing and dance to and by singing “I am rich when I feel alive…” KTEE and encourages young people to value the moments in their lives that do not cost a thing.The song got radio airplay in Germany, England and America and is quite successful on Spotify (250 000 streams).

Her newest singles LOUDER and YOUR PLACE got radio airplay in England, America, Netherlands, Italy and Germany. In January 2021 she released “Push and Pull” which got radio airplay on several international radio stations including BBC Radio Sussex. ​In March 2021 she released the ballad “Buried Alive”, which deals with a sad love story. ​In July 2021 she released “Back in Time”, in which she wishes to be able to travel back in time to give herself a hug. ​In September she collaborated with Paenda and Vida Noa and they wrote and released “Boys 4 Breakfast”. She started 2022 by releasing “Trust Issues”, a song about the frustration that comes with loving somebody with trust issues.

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MADELEINE MCPHERSON

The 22 year old, originally born in london but moving away at a young age, to the Kent countryside with her parents, for a quiter upbringing, Madeleine McPherson has definitely followed in her musician father’s footsteps. Influenced by the likes of Billy Joel, Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and Adele, but by no means restricted within these genres, Madeleine doesn’t stray away from experimenting both in her songwriting and in musical production. Driven by a desire to convey a raw authenticity, within the opening moments of the song, Madeleine draws you into her world, demonstrating both an individual vulnerability and an empowering universality.

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WHITE GATES

After performing at an event in the Isle of Wight in July 2022, singer Jessica Richardson and drummer Tyla Brooks agreed it was finally time to start a band together. They had known each other for several years as they had performed together at a number of events during their early teenage years. It was obvious who the bassist and guitarist would be and soon enough, friends Ryan Heather, and Oscar Ball joined the band. The 4 piece from Essex was soon rehearsing and creating their own original rock sound, with influences from Paramore and Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

The inspiration for their band name came from the location of the rehearsal rooms they used at the White Gates business centre in Essex. Several months later with a dozen or more originals written it was time to get out and perform. They have recently been bringing their music and energy to audiences in Essex and London whilst continuing to create and develop their unique sound

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TIM CHAPMAN

Tim Chapman has been in bands since he was 13, last playing at The Bedford with One Last Night in 2012. This time he’ll be performing a solo acoustic set. He writes heartaching melodies as well as funky, sexy stuff. He has been playing the Miami music scene in bands and performing solo until recently and this is his first gig back in the UK.

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SOPHIE BENFOLD

After over a decade of songwriting, Sophie Benfold made her debut with “Love Ain’t Easy” in 2023. Keen to hit the ground running, alongside her first release came a dark and thought provoking music video, which has amassed thousands of views on YouTube! Her younger years were spent singing to the family favourite films of ‘High School Musical’, but it was Adele’s ambitious melodies and powerful vocals that she has gained the most inspiration from. On her journey of self-improvement as a songwriter, her artistic flair and soulful voice have become a focal point of her music. 2023 is the year she wants to share her music with the world and bring fresh original music from the heart of the Kent music scene…Gravesend!

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