We are stoked to announce that our Needle In The Hay vinyl competition has returned!
Fresh off the back of the overwhelming response we got from the inaugural comp a couple of months back, we wasted no time putting the wheels in motion for the next edition; and this time it’s even bigger than the last.
This is our 7-inch single edition, which means all you have to do is submit your single to go in the draw to win a 250 x 7-inch pressing package from Zenith Records, and have a live performance of your single recorded by JMC, plus a slew of other epic prizes including a year of free eats at Beach Burrito.
Find out more below.
The Process
- Paste the URL for your single (either released or unreleased) to the NiTH enter page and pay the $5 entry fee via PayPal – please only submit streamable links (Soundcloud or Bandcamp only), any other submissions may be delayed or voided.
- The Happy team will listen to every submission and decide on 10 finalists.
- From the 10 finalists, our guest judges will choose the winner and runners-up.
Please note that NiTH is open only to Australian or New Zealand artists, either signed or independant. You CAN submit multiple singles, however, these must be separate entries. Demos are a-ok too!
Entries close on March 31st.
The Prizes
1st Prize: 250 x 7-inch vinyl copies of your single pressed by Zenith Records with full colour packaging + a high production live video recording of your single from JMC Academy worth $5000. NEW! One $150 food voucher per month for 12 months, valid at Beach Burrito venues.
2nd Prize: Up to $2000 worth of studio gear from Audio-Technica Australia. NEW! $150 voucher valid at Beach Burrito venues.
3rd Prize: A KORG MicroKorg synthesiser/vocoder (RRP $799). NEW! $100 voucher valid at Beach Burrito venues.
4th Prize: A $700 software bundle from IK Multimedia.
The six remaining runners-up will receive a single mastering package from Enmore Audio worth $200 each.
The Judges
Jen Cloher – An esteemed singer and songwriter, Jen Cloher is nothing short of a force within the Australian music scene. Alongside Courtney Barnett, Cloher now also co-directs Milk! Records, one of the country’s most highly regarded independent music labels.
Monkey Marc – Operating out of a solar powered studio in Melbourne, Monkey Marc is one of Australia’s best kept secrets. From Sydney’s DIY rave scene in the late ’90s to contemporary indigenous outreach programs, Marc has yet to stop playing a quiet yet vital role within the country’s music scene.
Aaron Curnow – As the director of Spunk Records, Aaron Curnow has been the hand behind a collection of the world’s most exciting and influential records. They have counted Mac DeMarco, Big Thief, and Shining Bird amongst their cohort, to name a few.
A very special thanks to Zenith Records, JMC Academy, Young Henrys, KORG, Audio-Technica Australia, Beach Burrito, IK Multimedia, Death by Audio and Enmore Audio. Without the support of our partners, Needle In The Hay would not be possible.
Enter Needle In The Hay Here
The intent of Needle In The Hay is to foster greater awareness of upcoming artists, and offer them the opportunity to release their music on vinyl. We are on the side of new Aussie bands and Happy hopes to play a part of developing the careers of these artists, shining a light on the next wave of emerging talent.
FAQ
• Only submit Soundcloud or Bandcamp links. All other submissions may be difficult to process. Please check your links are working before you send them.
• Yes, managers and labels can enter on behalf on artists.
• Yes, signed artists can enter the comp.
• Yes, demos are a-ok.
• Yes, your music will stay 100% private.
• Yes, if you’ve already released your single on vinyl, or if it has featured on another release, that’s totally ok.
