Violet Spinks is an 18-year-old from North Finchley, London who has beaten hundreds of people to get into the final 4 of the inaugural BIC® Write and Shine competition. Violet is in the middle of her A and AS Levels in Music Tech, Psychology and English and is also the main lyric writer and bass guitarist for London 4-piece girl band, BOYS who describe themselves as “A four piece alternative band from London looking to take over the world".
Judges have said of Violet's competition entry, 'Natural Selection':
"
There is a lot of character and frank honesty in these lyrics, and Violet has successfully shaped what could be perceived as a rambling diary or personal rant into a crafted and developed shape. The line ‘maybe you’ll get away with it ‘causeI won’t say your name’ helps to give the Song some weight and real credibility. The structure of the lyric is interesting with the chorus starting with the concluding line of the 1st pre-chorus and this glues the sections together inventively. The meter of the lyric is the real strength of the song. What appears to be a mildly edited stream of consciousness in the verses is juxtaposed really effectively with the punchy hooky quality of the chorus, and this demonstrates a strong pop sensibility in her writing".
BIC® has teamed up with singer/songwriter 4Music TV host and YouTuber Bethan Leadley, The Big Feastival, and platinum-selling producer Andy Whitmore at London’s Greystoke Recording Studios, to give the winner a chance to get a “foot in the door” of the music industry. If Violet wins she will perform her song on the main stage at
The Big Feastival on Alex James' farm in the Cotswolds, as well as getting to record her song in a studio with a platinum award winning producer. The three shortlisted songwriters who don’t win the big prize will still get to hang out at The Big Feastival and enjoy performances from some of the UK’s hottest music talents.A team of expert judges led by Danny Cope, Curriculum Leader: Popular Music and Songwriting at Leeds College of Music, chose the top four from hundreds of entries for the Write and Shine competition, which encouraged budding songwriters aged 13 to 24 to get lyrical with a BIC® 4 COLOURS™ Shine pen.
Finalist, Violet Spinks, has always had a passion for music which stemmed from her mother playing Prince to her and also bought her an electric guitar at a young age. She is also influenced by bands with strong female leads such as Paramore, No Doubt and Doll Skin, as well as classics including David Bowie and Pink Floyd.
Her music style has developed from angsty teen to something with more depth which her listeners really relate to.
Violet says of her music, “I’ve been writing lyrics, stories, poems and even fanfiction since I was around 10 years old. I think I started being serious about it when I joined my second band at age 15. Even though my lyrics weren't the best at that time, I’ve recycled practically every single thing I’ve written and tried to turn it into something that really speaks to people. Now, at age 18, I know that I have improved and moved on from something potentially angsty and embarrassing to something more refined and coherent. I don’t think I will ever stop improving, but you’ve always got to start somewhere!”
It's now down to a public vote via the My BIC Pen Facebook page which will determine who wins the big prize of recording their song in a studio and performing on the mainstage of The Big Feastival in front of a crowd of thousands, alongside Bethan, Olly Murs and Louisa Johnson. Anyone voting for Violet’s song (or any other finalist) will also be in the running to win tickets to The Big Feastival, which is from 25 to 27 August on Alex James’s farm in the Cotswolds.
BIC® will capture the whole experience in a short film, which will be released along with the winning song on Bethan’s and BIC®’s social channels, reaching hundreds of thousands of people.
You have until Friday 18th August to vote so get voting now here!
