Jade's Music Blog

Grammy-award winning Parr Street is the country’s biggest recording studios outside of London and we have an amazing chance for you to win a full day recording your own tracks to create a demo that will make you sound as good as you know you can be.
You could be playing your own compositions on the piano on which Chris Martin recorded Trouble (have a look underneath and you’ll see the graffiti he left for posterity) and work with one of the studio’s top engineers.
You’ll also have the guidance of Parr Street studio bosses and two of Merseyside’s leading music managers Pete and Peasy, as well as help getting onto local radio and a promo shoot with award-winning Merseyside photographer Dan Kenyon.
Peasy said: “We want to give talented bands and solo artists in Merseyside a headstart.
“Having a top class recording of your songs could set you on the way to getting more gigs, an interview with your band in the Echo, and who knows, it could even land you a record deal.”
“We’re looking for all kinds of musicians, it doesn’t matter how much experience you’ve got or what your style is - we’re just looking for talent. Ideally we’re looking for your own compositions, we want something new and original.”
To be in with a chance of winning, all you need to do is send in a demo so we can judge who will make the best use of the prize. Pete, Peasy and I will be sifting through the entries and we’ll be looking for the stars of the future.
To submit your demo (don’t worry about recording quality), get two copies of the same CD marked with Echo/Parr Street Comp and with your name and phone number somewhere prominent, and send one to: Jade's music page, Liverpool ECHO, PO Box 48, Liverpool, L69 3EB and the other one to Pete and Peasy, Parr Street Recording Studios, 33 - 45 Parr Street, Liverpool, L1 4JN.
We will not be able to return demos. The deadline for entries is Friday March 23.

Here are my top tips:
1. Please remember to put your name and contact details somewhere very clear - ideally on the CD itself. Bits of paper easily get detached and lost in an office as chaotic as mine, and we wouldn't want to not be able to contact to you.
2. Make sure you have at least one original song. We want to help you make the best demo you can, and your best chance to do that comes from new material. If also you want to include a cover of something with a very different interpretation, that's fine too.
3. If you want to include a short letter/photo/lyrics then feel free, but only relevant things and please no sob stories. You'll have me crying into my cocoa!
4. Don't worry if you don't have much experience/aren't mainstream/don't fit into the plastic pop package. It's not X Factor - we're looking for talent, whatever your genre or level of experience.
5. Have fun with it! We're looking for music that will move and motivate people, so enjoy it and that will come across.