Five Ballarat-based artists and bands will have the opportunity to be mentored by celebrated Australian musicians and industry leaders as part of the City of Ballarat's contemporary music program Be Hear Now.
The five artists/bands from Ballarat for the 2025 Be Hear Now program are Nasal Spray, Blue Ren, Hemlock Wilde, D.B.L.U. and Nekrome.
In its fifth year, the Be Hear Now program is providing 'the ones to watch' in the Ballarat music scene with a tailored mentorship program, pairing them up with industry professionals, to help them refine their craft and build their careers. The cohort will undergo training and receive support to assist in the commercial release of a new single, supported by a team of industry professionals and service providers.
Industry mentors include solo artist and bandleader of Epicure, Juan Alban; lead guitarist and songwriter of Magic Dirt, Raul Sanchez; singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Liz Stringer; ARIA award winning singer songwriter Lior; and touring musician and recording artist Lilith Lane.
The cohort will undergo training and receive support to assist in the commercial release of their single, supported by a team of industry professionals and service providers.
Underpinning the program will be an emphasis on building a team to support the creative practice and commercial viability of the artist/band through supporting the release cycle of a single from songwriting to recording, design and production, marketing and publicity, distribution and strategic planning.
Each Be Hear Now participant will receive:
- Five dedicated sessions with an industry-matched mentor
- Strategic planning for single release
- Professional recording, mixing and mastering sessions
- Graphic design for single artwork and poster collateral
- Release strategy development
- Marketing and promotion funding
- Distribution support - how to get your music on popular streaming platforms
- Professional development in areas including music business, artist brand development, marketing and social media, publicity, live performance, recording and production, tour planning, digital distribution and playlist pitching.
