A TALENTED Teesdale teen has beaten thousands of other singers and bands to win a coveted spot in the final of a regional music competition.
Singer Jess Bassett, 13, who lives at Greta Bridge, near Barnard Castle, impressed judges with her vocal range to make it to the final of the SoundWaves Music Competition.
Jess, who has already released two singles online, made it through the first five rounds of the competition ahead of more than 2,000 other hopefuls.
The competition, which was launched in Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, Birmingham and London, aims to help give aspiring artists the opportunity to perform live at some of the best known music venues.
Jess, who performed at The Witham’s fundraising variety show last month and more recently at The Hub showcase, at Middleton-in-Teesdale Sports and Social Club, said she cried when she heard she’d made it through to the final.
She said: “We got an email about a week after I did the live audition in Newcastle in the last round. I’d got really nervous before the audition so I didn’t think I would have got through.”
She added she gets nervous before a performance but said she was encouraged after speaking with other performers at The Witham.
She said: “When I was back stage at The Witham before I sang I got chatting to a lot of the other acts, especially the ladies from the D’ukes of Scarth and I realised that I wasn’t alone.
“Everyone else gets as nervous as I do.”
Jess, who sings under her stage name of Jeshika Jaynes, will join 13 other finalists and will have to perform a ten minute set at the O2 Academy in Newcastle on Friday, June 21.
She says she has already decided to sing one of her own songs, Ego, and a cover of Radiohead’s Creep but hasn’t chosen her final tune yet.
If successful, Jess will go through to the national final which will take place in Birmingham.
The top prize for the competition includes a recording contract, a UK tour and professional management package.
“It would be great to win, but I just want to make my mum proud as she has done so much for me,” she added.
