Hastings singer-songwriter wins Glastonbury Festival’s Emerging Talent Competition

A Hastings singer-songwriter has won Glastonbury Festival’s Emerging Talent Competition for 2019.
Marie White won the Glastonbury Festival's Emerging Talent Competition for 2019. Photo by Jason Bryant. SUS-190430-095557001Marie White won the Glastonbury Festival's Emerging Talent Competition for 2019. Photo by Jason Bryant. SUS-190430-095557001
Marie White won the Glastonbury Festival's Emerging Talent Competition for 2019. Photo by Jason Bryant. SUS-190430-095557001

Marie White wowed the judges – including Glastonbury Festival founder and organiser Michael Eavis, co-organiser Emily Eavis, Glastonbury stage bookers and music business professionals – to claim the title and with it, a slot on one of the festival’s main stages for 2019. She also won a £5,000 Talent Development prize from the PRS Foundation, which supports the competition alongside PRS for Music.

The 23-year-old musician said: “I spent most of my childhood years playing badminton in sweaty sports halls across the country. As a junior I was ranked within the top 20 in Great Britain, and assumed that my career would naturally follow the sporting route. However, aged 16, a knee operation inspired a change of direction. I began to feel far more emotionally connected than ever before, and wrote poems for absolutely nobody but myself to read. The collection of guitars my dad kept in the attic sparked my interest, and as he could already play, he taught me a few chords to practise.

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“I take to most things quite quickly in life, but during my debut performance of ‘Whole Again’ by Atomic Kitten in the back of our car, my dad looked at my mum and said, “Thank God she will never be a singer!” – the rest, quite frankly, is a mystery opposed to history!”

Marie started busking aged 17 in Rye, outside Boots. “Some people’s money never made it into the hat, but would instead hit me in the face,” she said. “Bad aim, I guess?!”

It was here she was asked by a man named John if he could book her for his wedding.

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Marie added: “I’ll always be grateful for that youthful naivety most teenagers seem to have. I turned up completely unprepared with only six songs in the catalogue and a pair of trainers on! Much to my disgust their cheesecake hadn’t defrosted, and so my 45-minute set of six songs were repeated for three hours!

“After years of learning from my many mistakes I can now proudly say that I am a full-time musician, and people such as Bexhill-based Chris Makin (lead singer of The Chandeliers) and Hastings’ finest Liane Carol have been my biggest supporters and inspiration since day one.

“Some personal highlights for me have been playing my first ever London showcase to the likes of Greg James, Mel C, Chris Moyles and Edith Bowman. Supporting one of my favourite bands in the world, Keane, and of course winning Glastonbury’s Emerging Artist competition 2019.”

Alongside her career, Marie has been mentoring young artists at The Eggtooth Project for three years.

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She said: “Many who had never previously performed live are now playing to hundreds of people, and some even signed to independent record labels. Teaching has always been my biggest passion and my main motive for entering Glastonbury’s Emerging Artist competition. I hope my kids are proud.

“It’s been a tough uphill struggle full of highs and lows, but my Glastonbury win wasn’t based on the eight minutes that I had to impress the panel, it was down to the eight years of hard work that has got me to this point today.

“Always believe in yourself, never give up, and reach for the stars... Trust me, they’re closer than you think.”

Visit https://twitter.com/mariewhitemusic or https://www.instagram.com/mariewhitemusic/ to keep up-to-date with Marie’s music.

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