Ronela Hajati was born on 2 September 1989 into an Albanian family in the city of Tirana, then part of the People’s Socialist Republic, present Albania. Her mother originally hailed from Korçë while her father, Marash Hajati, was from Shkodër. Hajati continued her early career by participating in various music events on different occasions, such as Top Fest and Kënga Magjike. She rose to significant prominence in the Albanian-speaking Balkans upon the release of the acclaimed single “Mala Gata” in May 2013. She has named American musician Michael Jackson as her idol and one of her biggest musical influences. Hajati is also a fan of Puerto Rican musician Ricky Martin and attended his concert in New York City in October 2021. Hajati is considered an image of body and self-confidence. In 2015, she began a relationship with Albanian musician Young Zerka with whom she collaborated on numerous singles and music videos before breaking up in 2018. As of December 2021, Hajati resides with her mother in Tirana.
Earmarked as one of Australia’s most notable up and coming artists, Sheldon Riley’s style of music has been described as ‘dark pop’ with a cinematic and passionate expression. Known for strong visuals almost as much as great music, Sheldon has received acclaim for a clear ability to forge a unique sound and style. Sheldon’s live performances have also resulted in a lot of chatter about this artist, so a lot of eyes were on Not The Same going into Eurovision – Australia Decides, the nation’s pre-selection format for Eurovision, which Sheldon won. Eurovision – Australia Decides wasn’t Sheldon’s first time going up against a public televote in a televised music competition. The artist has previously competed in The X Factor Australia, The Voice Australia, and, 2 years later, America’s Got Talent!
Nadir has enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame in his native Azerbaijan. It’s been quite a year for the singer from Salyan, as his Eurovision participation was confirmed just 3 weeks after winning The Voice of Azerbaijan, where he stormed to victory with more than 40% of the audience’s votes in the grand final. During the series, the champ’s mentor was Eldar Gasimov, who is best known (outside of his country) for winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 2011, with Running Scared, a duet with Nikki. Nadir admits that Eurovision was on his mind when he picked Eldar, as representing his country on stage has been a lifelong ambition. That dream began as a child. Nadir took piano lessons for 7 years, studied in music school and, while at university, joined a band in which he performed lead vocals and served as the group’s artistic director, getting to indulge his creative side even further.
Intelligent Music Project is a supergroup of musicians with vast experience in performing on stage, either together or with other bands. The group has an open-door policy when it comes to invigorating its line-up with other talented musicians. Their collaborative approach has resulted in the band working, recording and performing with names that have previously collaborated with the likes of TOTO, Black Sabbath, Stevie Wonder, Phil Collins and many more besides. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the release of their debut album The Power of Mind; giving them a good reason to celebrate whatever their result in Turin. The band won’t be completely in the dark about what to expect from perhaps the most intense fortnight of their careers so far; drummer Stoyan Yankoulov will be on hand with advice from his two previous outings at the Eurovision Song Contest. He represented Bulgaria with singing partner Elitsa in 2007 with the song Voda, returning solo in 2013 with Samo Shampioni.
Keen pop fans will know that Andromache’s star has been in ascendancy across Europe for the past few years. Born in Germany, and raised in Greece, music has always been a huge part of this participant’s upbringing; her entire family were passionate performers when it came to singing and dancing. But Andromache first rose to widespread attention when she competed in The Voice of Greece, signing to Panik Records shortly after. Her single, Na Soun Psema, became the artist’s big breakthrough hit across radio and streaming platforms, cementing her status as a pop star to watch.
REDDI is made up of Siggy on vocals, Ida on bass, Agnes on guitar, and Ihan on drums. The band’s passion for all kinds of music permeates their sound, where rock and punk mix playfully with classic strings and colourful pop. Their Eurovision entry, The Show, is all about daring to do what you want regardless of your gender, as they explain: “With our song, we want to tell the world that you should not let the outside world stop you from doing what you dream of. We want to show the world that women can do everything on their own. We all wondered why there were so few female bands in Denmark, so now we show that it can easily be done”. For drummer Ihan, this is the second time she has graced the Eurovision stage, having previously participated in 2012 with Danish artist Soluna Samay.
Together for nearly 30 years, The Rasmus are one of Finland’s most internationally successful groups. Their biggest hit, In the Shadows, recently passed the 100 million streaming mark on Spotify, despite being released many years before the streaming platform was even invented. Though that mega-hit remains the band’s calling card, they’ve since released several platinum albums, won numerous music industry awards, and played gigs all over the world. Entering the Eurovision sphere is part of the band’s second coming, as they see it. They have taken on a new guitarist, Emppu, who launched her own career in the late ‘90s in the Finnish girl band Tiktak. She joins Lauri (lead, singer-songwriter), Eero (bass) and Aki (guitar).
As far as we know, Circus Mircus was formed in Tbilisi, Georgia, by 3 local circus academy dropouts at the end of 2020. In a note passed to Eurovision organisers, the band explained: ‘We weren’t good enough, probably the worst in the crew, that’s why we became friends’. Sonically unique, Circus Mircus encompass a myriad of genres, intricately reflecting the inner world and the life experience of each band member. The cornerstone of their philosophy lies in the complete neglect of musical frameworks. Since the band’s inception in 2020, they have released 11 songs.
Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord is a critically acclaimed international singer and songwriter. Tenfjord spent the early years of her life living in Greece, before later relocating to Norway with her family, where she found herself in the same school class as Nordic popstress Sigrid. Lauded by publications including The Fader and NME, her songs have travelled globally with support from the likes of Spotify and Apple, as well as thanks to features on Netflix series Spinning Out and the NRK and BBC3 co-production Nudes. When she’s not making music, Amanda studies medicine and has been doing her placement in a hospital for COVID-19 patients.
Singer and songwriter Brooke has been making waves in both the United Kingdom and Ireland in recent years. The pop star heads to Italy already a big fan of Eurovision and the music it has given a platform to in recent years, citing Måneskin and Loreen as two of her favourite artists she has discovered through the Contest. The critically-acclaimed vocalist first found fame as a finalist on the 2020 series of The Voice UK, having been mentored by Grammy-award winning artist Meghan Trainor, and eventually finishing in 3rd place. Brooke credits ‘70s legends Blondie as the major influence for her entry That’s Rich, having written the song after reading Debbie Harry’s autobiography. There’s no doubt she’ll deliver an Atomic performance in Italy.
Two of Italy’s most popular young artists, Mahmood and BLANCO, will represent the host country in Turin. As with reigning Contest champs Måneskin, Mahmood shot to fame on The X Factor Italia. The Milanese musician released a succession of singles thereafter and has also put out two full-length albums. The artist’s biggest hit to date has been Soldi, which finished second at Eurovision in 2019 and became the most-streamed Eurovision song of all time on Spotify (a record held until January 2021 when it was surpassed by Duncan Laurence’s Arcade). BLANCO is a singer/rapper from Brescia with big aspirations. His 2021 single, Mi Fai Impazzire, spent 8 weeks at the top of the Italian charts and was followed by the release of his debut album, Blu Celeste, which also shot to number one.
Monica Liu is one of Lithuania’s most popular and respected artists. After graduating from the University of Klaipėda, where she studied jazz, and globe-trotting Monica spent time studying in Massachusetts, living in London, before then settling in Vilnius. Since her debut in 2015, Liu has released three albums and plenty more singles. Her repertoire is so impressive that she’s been called upon to sit on the panel of two of Lithuania’s biggest talent shows: The Voice and The Masked Singer. According to the artist, she has been considering making her way to the Eurovision stage for many years, and the time proved right for her now, upon the composition of Sentimentai, which was written and recorded in London.
Zdob şi Zdub are a band who have become just as infamous for their spectacular live shows, as they have for their catchy, sing-along tunes. The band have been around since 1994, honing their craft with a near-constant schedule of gigs, tours and festival appearances, and managing to release 10 albums in the process. Their debut at Eurovision was also Moldova’s very first outing at the Contest, at which Zdob și Zdub gave their nation a 6th place finish with the song Boonika Bate Toba. They were back again in 2011 with So Lucky, progressing to the grand final once more and giving Moldova a 12th place result to be proud of. The band will be joined in Turin by Frații Advahov: two musicians who are so popular in Moldova, they even have their own folk orchestra, frequently playing at sold-out events across their country. Zdob şi Zdub and Frații Advahov plan on releasing a whole album of material together.
S10 is the moniker of Stien den Hollander, a Dutch singer, rapper and songwriter. At just 21 years of age, the artist has made a name for herself as the darling of the Dutch alt-pop scene, winning over critics, amassing a loyal army of fans, and triumphing at prestigious awards ceremonies. In 2016, S10 took it upon herself to write, record and self-released her first mini-album, Antipsychotica. Word of mouth led to the creative talent’s popularity to explode, resulting in a coveted record deal the following year, at the age of 17. With millions of streams to her name, collaborations with some of the Netherlands’ biggest artists and rave reviews from music critics, the headliner from Hoorn continues to forge her own path in the music industry.
Subwoolfer, the biggest band in the galaxy, got together 4.5 billion years ago on their home planet… the Moon. Since then, Keith and Jim have conquered the music scene on every other planet, making them the most successful pop group ever… so they tell us. On Sunday 20 July 1969, a prophet named Neil appeared to them, and was soon hailed as ‘the man with the strongest arms’. He promised to return telling them he would help them become the biggest band on his planet, too; but only once they had written the greatest song in the universe, sung in his native tongue, English. Neil never returned. However, they found DJ Astronaut. And now, armed with the greatest song in existence, Give That Wolf a Banana, they have come to earth to claim their musical throne by performing at the most important and prestigious musical event in the history of the world: the Eurovision Song Contest 2022.
It wasn’t until she turned 19 that MARO realised she wanted to pursue music full time. Graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2017, the songstress made the tough decision to move to Los Angeles instead of going home to Portugal. In her first year in LA, the artist released six self-written and self-produced albums. During this time, her Instagram caught the eye of Grammy winner, Jacob Collier, who invited her to join his debut touring band as a featured vocalist and instrumentalist. MARO has supported Jessie J, Fatai, ¿Téo?, and is currently opening for Charlotte Cardin’s European tour.
Achille Lauro is an eclectic singer, songwriter and rapper from Verona, Italy. This year, he’ll celebrate the 10th anniversary of his first mixtape. Since that first release, he’s gone on to produce an EP and 6 studio albums, topping the Italian album charts on two occasions. It’s not just music that Achille spends his time on, however. He’s acted, directed and is even an award-winning film producer, alongside hosting TV shows, putting on art exhibitions, authoring 3 books, and acting as the creative director for a record label. He arrives at Eurovision having won the Una Voce per San Marino song contest, having previously competed in 3 editions of the prestigious Festival di Sanremo in his native Italy, in 2019, 2020 and 2022.
LPS (Last Pizza Slice) is a teenage pop band composed of Filip (vocal), Gašper (drums), Mark (electric guitar), Zala (bass guitar, tenor and alto saxophone), and Žiga (electric keyboards). The group have been together since 2018 when they met in the music room of their school. Despite their relatively short time as an act, LPS have already managed to rack up an impressive number of performances at festivals and concerts around the country. As well as the disco with which most new fans will now associate them, LPS also dabble in soul-pop, funk, blues, rock and jazz. At the beginning of their career, they grew a dedicated fan base through their quirky, non-commercial interpretations of commercial hits. Some might assume that the title of their entry implies a carefree tale of losing oneself in uplifting disco music, but the lyrics tell the sad (and true) story of the band’s vocalist Filip, who was dumped by his girlfriend… at a disco.
Cornelia is a singer, songwriter, and ‘Melodifestivalen’ winner from Sweden. Jakobs began her recording career as part of the RedOne-produced girl band Love Generation, who released their self-titled debut in the summer of 2010. Sadly, the group lasted just three singles in the fickle world of pop. Undeterred, Cornelia launched a solo career in 2018 and has been busy releasing singles, performing to sell-out crowds across the country, and working on her first album. With a father who is a famous rockstar in Sweden and a grandmother who is a composer, music has always been a fundamental part of this pop star’s life.
Kalush Orchestra is a Ukrainian hip-hop band that combines ethnic motifs with modern sounds using different folk instruments. The band was named after the Ukrainian city of Kalush. Set in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, it serves as a mascot that inspires the band to involve different folk elements and authentic Ukrainian music within their songs. Moreover, it is the hometown of band member Oleh Psiuk. Their Eurovision entry, Stefania, is a tribute to Oleh’s mother, which she only heard for the very first time when she saw the band compete in Ukraine’s Eurovision selection show, Vidbir. One of the group’s members already has experience of the Eurovision Song Contest: Ihor travelled to Rotterdam last year to compete with his other band, Go_A.
Born and raised in Vanadzor, singer-songwriter Rosa Linn will represent Armenia in Turin. In her own words, Rosa says: ‘From the outside looking in, the odds seemed like they were against me – an unknown girl from a small town in Armenia. But the power of manifestation is real when it is combined with hard work; persistence; and just putting oneself out there. I’m excited to let people into my inner world through my music.’ Rosa will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of her country’s Junior Eurovision counterpart, Maléna, who won the most recent Junior Contest for Armenia in Paris last December. Can she manifest a double victory?
Broadcaster ORF has revealed superstar DJ LUM!X and sensational vocalist Pia Maria as Austria’s participants for the Eurovision Song Contest in Turin. They will compete in the First Semi-Final on Tuesday, May 10. LUM!X is still polishing his ‘Halo’ so we won’t hear the entry until March, but eager fans already have a huge back catalogue to enjoy: LUM!X recently passed 700 million streams and has several gold and platinum records to his name. The DJ born Luca Michlmayr began producing music at the age of 11 and is currently one of Austria’s most successful artists. The son of an Italian mother, he used to live in the host city of Turin, and so the Eurovision Song Contest represents a true highlight for the young artist. He’ll be joined by 18-year-old Pia Maria from Tyrol, Italy, who features on the track.
Hailing from Antwerp, Belgium, Jérémie is an artist with a voice so impressive, that he won the 2021 series of The Voice Belgique. Makiese’s talent for belting out a ballad was spotted at a young age by his parents, both of whom come from musical backgrounds. His voice was put to use in the local church choir (instilling a lifelong love of gospel music) before he moved on to professional vocal lessons at school. Today, his career in music runs parallel with his aspirations of becoming a professional footballer. A talented goalkeeper, the singer recently signed a contract to play for Excelsior Virton FC. Going forward, the ambitious young superstar wants to follow both of his passions in life. When he’s not entertaining crowds in football stadiums and concert arenas, Jérémie has an academic interest in geology. He should therefore be excited about his trip to Turin; the city is widely regarded as a fascinating place to investigate from a petrographic and mineralogical point of view!
Mia is a globe-trotting singer from Croatia with a string of hits to her name. Born in Osijek, Dimšić’s musical career began when rock band Džentlmeni invited her to accompany them gigging in the US and Canada. After the tour had finished, it wasn’t long before the singer started composing her own solo material; citing icons such as Norah Jones, Kacey Musgraves and Taylor Swift as major influences. Mia’s creativity has since led to two chart-topping albums (plus a Christmas album peaking at number 2), and 6 number-one singles on the Croatian charts. And despite being relatively young, the singer’s achievements have been so notable that she’s already released her own memoir… Cesta Do Sna (The Road to a Dream).
What started as a ‘one-time thing’ for a project at Leeds College of Music in 2006, soon morphed into a full-time creative outlet for Dominika, Benjamin and Casper. Once their studies had been wrapped up, a relocation to Prague allowed the 3 friends to fine-tune their sound and style even further, resulting in the stage-ready We Are Domi we’re lucky to have today. Their music has been described as alternative electro-pop with hints of indie. To date, they have released 6 singles, with each song having in common the band’s very own blend of those genres and their passion for pop music in general. After Eurovision, We Are Domi are looking forward to continuing to deliver the high energy performances that they have quickly become known for, as they plan to hit the club stages and festival circuits around Europe.
Stefan is a singer and songwriter, whose music has become something of a staple on Estonia’s airwaves over the past few years. Stefan’s parents moved all the way from Armenia to Viljandi (in the south of the country) where they opened a restaurant and raised the aspiring singer. His big break came in 2018 when he finished third in Estonia’s Eurovision preselection contest, Eesti Laul, as part of the duo VAJÉ with the song Laura (Walk with Me). He followed this up with another 3rd place finish in 2019 and made the finals again in 2020. Despite spending a good portion of 2020 in a giant ram costume (on The Masked Singer), Stefan was named the country’s Sexiest Man of the Year by the popular magazine Kroonika.
Alvan is a multi-instrumentalist electro artist from the French region of Brittany; the same place vocal group Ahez hail from. As an artist, Alvan loves to mix different genres within his own music, and despite his sound mostly being rooted in electronica, he also uses a lot of traditional chants and organic elements in his hybrid compositions. Ahez (Marine, Sterenn and Stereen) are a traditional vocal group who aim to showcase their regional heritage through music, by writing and singing in their native language, Breton. In their songs, they tell contemporary stories that reference the ancient myths of Brittany. Alvan & Ahez have made it known they want to show that tradition is not something stuck in the past; rather, it is constantly evolving.
German-American singer and rapper Malik has been writing songs on his guitar for over a decade. Harris comes from a very musical family; his grandfather was an opera singer, his grandmother a pianist, and his father plays several instruments and teaches cello. The young star’s first singles, Say The Name (2018) and Welcome to the Rumble (2019), hit on the German airplay chart and streaming platforms, which led to a solo tour in May 2019. Malik has supported international acts including James Blunt, Alex Clare, Jeremy Loops, Tom Odell and LP.
Sigga, Beta and Elín are a band of sisters who have been singing together for as long as they can remember. The girls previously assembled a group named after their beloved grandmother, Sísí Ey; scoring a huge hit in Iceland with the song, Ain’t Got Nobody. Their father, Eythor, was a member of the legendary jazz-funk band, Mezzoforte, who scored a UK number 17 hit in 1983 with the song Garden Party. Their mother, Ellen, is also a singer, and their brother (also named Eythor) will join them on stage playing the drums. The three siblings believe strongly in the healing power of music and spend much of their time supporting those who are marginalised in society. In recent years, they have focused their activism on trans children’s rights, and are deeply involved with the local community.
Michael Ben David is the most recent winner of ‘The X Factor Israel’. Born in the city of Akshelon, Michael has studied singing and performing since he was 13 years of age, having enrolled in the Beit Zvi School of the Performing Arts. Upon graduation, he successfully auditioned for The X Factor Israel, where one of the judges was none other than the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest winner Netta. Michael’s emotional openness won him more and more fans as he went on a journey of self-affirmation that’s thoroughly explored in his Eurovision entry: I.M. When he’s not singing or acting, Michael loves to cook and bake in his free time.
Citi Zēni are an award-winning, 6-piece band from Riga, who were formed at the beginning of 2020. The self-proclaimed ‘Princes of Rap’ and ‘Divas of 21st Century Pop’ are just as well known for their energetic performances and eccentric style as they are for their cheeky lyrics. The band released their debut album, Suņi Iziet Ielās, to much critical acclaim and have already started work on the follow-up album, planning to release a second single from it shortly after the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest has taken place. The eco-friendly sextet is made up of Jānis on vocals, Dagnis who contributes vocals and saxophone, Reinis on keyboards, Krišjānis playing the guitar, Roberts giving us bass, and Toms on drums.
Emma is one of Malta’s most successful music exports in recent years. As well as being an in-demand singer, Muscat also composes music, writes lyrics, and is an accomplished pianist too. This won’t be her first time in Italy. In fact, the Maltese singer-songwriter has already carved out an impressive career for herself as a recording artist over the water; capitalising on the success of her 2018 participation in the grand final of the popular Italian talent show, Amici di Maria De Filippi. Following her appearance on the show, Emma signed a deal with Warner Music Italy, and a debut album was released. Moments reached the top 3 of the Italian albums chart, leading to opportunities to support the likes of Jason Derulo, Hailee Steinfeld, Sigala, Martin Garrix, Bebe Rexha and Ava Max.
Vladana is one of Montenegro’s most popular artists and has been for some time. The multi-talented popstress from Podgorica has a primary and secondary education in music and a degree in journalism from Montenegro’s State Faculty of Political Science. In 2015, she put that degree to good use, launching the online fashion magazine Čiviluk. As well as being founder and editor in chief, Vladana also writes a column and has conducted interviews with designers, musicians and political figures. Vladana will be bringing with her to Turin a name familiar to many Eurovision fans: songwriter and producer Darko Dimitrov. The Macedonian composer has had a hand in no fewer than 11 entries, with Breathe becoming his 12th.
Andrea is relatively new to the world of pop, but her journey has gotten off to a flying start. It was during her younger years living in New York that she developed a keen interest in the gospel, soul and R&B music that surrounded her. When her family moved back to North Macedonia, she enrolled in Skopje’s Faculty of Music Arts, the country’s leading music school, where she enhanced her burgeoning songwriting skills by learning to play guitar and piano. Since the end of 2020, Andrea has channelled her talent into a recording career, releasing over half a dozen singles in the space of 6 months, with Circles her latest and set to be her most widely received yet.
Ochman rose to fame when his vocal talents saw him voted as the winner of ‘The Voice of Poland’. Born in Massachusetts, US, Krystian Ochman has lived in Poland since his teenage years; firstly in Katowice, where he studied at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music, and now in Warsaw. After his victory on The Voice, the singer released his debut single, Światłocienie. The song got off to a great start, clocking up over 300,000 streams on Spotify in its first week alone. More hits followed, and in November 2021, he went on to release his self-titled debut album. Krystian isn’t the only famous performer in the family: he’s the grandson of the internationally renowned Polish tenor Wiesław Ochman. No doubt inspired by his grandfather’s musical prowess, the Eurovision hopeful learned to play both the trumpet and the piano as a youngster.
Singer-songwriter WRS is a man of many talents. The beatmaker from Buzău began his artistic career as a dancer; performing on stage with Romanian pop icons such as Inna, and being hired as a house dancer for both Romania’s Got Talent and The Voice of Romania. In 2015 he joined the boyband SHOT for a short while, before moving to London to hone his craft as a songwriter and solo act. In total, the Romanian recording artist has released 10 singles, and 3 collaborations and is currently working on his forthcoming debut EP, Mandala.
Konstrakta is the moniker of Ana Đurić, an artist from Serbia. In the early stages of her career, the singer honed her vocal skills in the band Zemlja Gruva (Land of Groove); they had the honour of being the opening act for Amy Winehouse, at her last ever concert, in Belgrade in 2011. As a solo artist, Konstrakta is interested in contemporary social and emotional phenomena. Her song In Corpore Sano has been interpreted by some as a critique of the Serbian healthcare system and a satire on unattainable beauty standards. Ana is the conceptual designer for every music video that she releases, and in addition to creating music, the multi-talented artist and businesswoman also has a degree in architecture.
Chanel Terrero is a singer, dancer and actress born in Havana, Cuba. The superstar has over a decade of musical theatre experience, having starred in productions of The Lion King, Flashdance, The Bodyguard and Mamma Mia. She has also danced on stage with Shakira, at the 2010 MTV Europe Music Awards. Chanel has starred in numerous series on Spanish television, including Águila Roja, El Continental and El Secreto de Puente Viejo. She’s also graced the silver screen, too, as part of the cast of El Rey de la Habana, a film by Agustí Villaronga. SloMo is the artist’s debut single; composed by a team of songwriters who have collaborated with the likes of Madonna, Black Eyed Peas, Britney Spears, Ricky Martin, Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj.
Marius is a multi-talented musician from Appenzell in Switzerland. In 2016, Bear abandoned his plan of becoming a construction machinery mechanic, in order to tour Germany and Switzerland as a street musician. At one festival, he got to know a famous producer who invited him to New York and quickly became part of the Swiss artistic and creative arts scene there. The globe-trobber was on the move once more in 2017, heading to the United Kingdom, where he studied music production at the prestigious BIMM Institute in London. It was this literal journey of self-discovery that ultimately led to the release of his first album, Not Loud Enough, which soared into the Top 20 of the Swiss album charts.
Sam is a singer and songwriter from Essex who has seen his popularity go stratospheric, largely thanks to social media. The Brit co-wrote his Eurovision entry with Grammy-winning songwriter Amy Wadge (Ed Sheeran, Thinking Out Loud) and Max Wolfgang, and with over 12 million followers and 100 million likes on TikTok, he is currently the most followed UK music artist on the platform. As the world went into lockdown in March 2020, Sam uploaded the first of his now-famous cover videos, quickly catching the attention of celebrity fans including Justin Bieber, Sia and Alicia Keys, who even posted her own video reacting to his cover of her song If I Ain’t Got You. Since then he’s been signed by Parlophone Records, released his debut EP (The Sun’s Gonna Rise), and received top-level support from the UK’s biggest radio stations.