WLR Announces 4 Finalists in the A New Local Hero Search
With close to 30 entries from Waterford City and County, WLR announces the 4 finalists for their stage of the A New Local Hero Search.
A New Local Hero Search is part of the nationwide Irish Music Month initiative. It kicks off on September 1st across 21 of Ireland's independent radio stations in association with Hotpress, IbI & Coimisiún na Meán’s Sound & Vision Scheme, Funded by the Television License Fee
For more on Irish Music Month click HERE
Over the coming weeks, two WLR judges, along with you and the public, will have the opportunity to decide which of these four incredible artists will advance to the national stage of the "A New Local Hero" search.
Further details on this process will be announced soon.
But first, let's meet the acts.
Sara Lou
Sara Lou is a Country Pop Singer-Songwriter and guitarist. Her love of performance began at a very young age when she began Irish Dancing and playing the tin Whistle and flute. At fifteen, she got her first acoustic guitar and fell in love with singing and songwriting. Sara Lou has been performing on stages across Ireland, the UK, Australia, and America. She has built a significant fan base via the open mic & charity concert scene in combination with support slots to some great Irish artists including Mick Flannery, Republic of Loose, Aslan, Bagatelle, Eleanor McEvoy and Ryan Sheridan.
Shane Barry
Waterford-based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer, Shane Barry, re-emerged on the original music scene in 2023 having decided to re-focus on education for over a decade. Having had previous success with the soul/indie influenced Shane Barry & the Distractions, the pause in performance opportunities in 2020 led to a rediscovery of enjoying music and writing songs.
Washed Out
Washed Out is a young band aged from 16-19 and is making waves in Waterford’s music scene with their unique blend of funk and indie sounds. Known for their original music and soulful covers, they bring a fresh and energetic vibe to every performance.
The band, comprising Heather Deely (vocals), Danny Byrne (guitar), Oscar Devlin (keys), Ben Walsh (saxophone), Siofra Bartels-Shortt (bass) and Sara Whelan (drums)
They have been creating a lasting impression on local audiences in recent months, with gigs at Summer in the City, Luca Records, Bank Lane, Europe Direct/ European Year of Skills for Young People Conference at Theatre Royal Waterford and Waterford Council’s Dungarvan Samhain Session, as well as featuring in the 2024 Waterford Spraoi parade
Woody
Woody is an indie rock band from Kilmeaden that formed in 2020 and released their first EP Bananas. Since then they have made a name for themselves playing across all of Waterford's main giving venues including Theatre Royal and An Uisce Beatha. They self-released their debut album Beans On Toast earlier this year and have begun working on our second album ‘While I’m Away’.
