July’s Breaking Artists: Kudos to these ReverbNation Opportunity Winners!

Wondering who submits to all those opportunities you see in your email inbox every week? What happens after submissions close? Our monthly Breaking Artists newsletter, along with this nice, shiny blog post, breaks it down and shows you some of the opportunity winners.

Take a look and a listen, show your support for your fellow musicians and send them kudos in the comments.

Breaking Artists are selected by Reverb staff from opportunity winners. Increase your chances of being one of them by submitting to opportunities here >>

Named Verizon’s Indie Icon and a chance to jam at the 2013 Essence Festival

As forerunners of the midwest “garage soul” movement, Jared Mahone and his band fill out singer/songwriter tunes with the throwback sound of a powerhouse band. Mahone recently competed to win Verizon’s Indie Icon title against against other hot indie music acts in the Midwest and came out on top! As Verizon’s first Indie Icon, he had a chance to play at the 2013 Essence Festival in New Orleans. Other artists such as Beyoncé, Keyshia Cole, and LL Cool J also performed at the festival, which was held over the Fourth of July weekend.

“Thank you so much for being the conduit that made this happen for us. There is no independent artist I know who doesn’t think it’s a must to have a ReverbNation page. Thank you for supporting the indie artist and for helping to make us Verizon’s Indie Icon.“

-Jared Mahone

Opened for Sublime with Rome and Pennywise at The Stone Pony

In an attempt to find peace within himself and inspire others the way musicians have inspired him, Jared Wohl created the tortured optimism that is Farewell Luna; music that weighs heavy on your soul and rests blissfully within your heart. Due to hard work and determination, Farewell Luna was picked to open for Sublime with Rome and Pennywise at The Stone Pony, a historic location. The Stone Pony opened its doors in 1974 and has since become one of the world’s best known music venues, located in Asbury Park, NJ. Here’s what Farewell Luna had to say about how it felt to win this opportunity:

“Amazing, surreal, and list goes on and on. To be included on the same bill as one of the bands I grew up idolizing is a very cool feeling. I do wish Bradley Nowell was still alive since his music & voice has been such an inspiration to me. Nevertheless, Rome is the man and has definitely done him justice!”

-Farewell Luna

Earned a featured song in Rush Bros

The latest video game from Rush Bros. revolves around music in your library. For the new installment, ReverbNation artists entered to have one of their songs featured. Ten talented artists were chosen as semi finalists and fans picked five winners to be featured in the game and on the official Rush Bros. soundtrack.

Listed below are the five winning artists and their songs alongside the semi-finalists. Make sure to check out Rush Bros. and the exclusive ReverbNation bonus level!

Winners:

“I submitted a song I made a couple years ago because I thought it fit well with the opportunity. Happy how things turned out!” – Matt Larsen	The Ones You Loved
“I submitted my songs, and was chosen. I asked my fans to vote for my song. And I got my song in the “big five.” – JFLOW	“Total WOW factor-an incredible feeling to be chosen and appreciated as an artist. An exciting venture!” – Clarissa
Kwanza Jones

Semi-Finalists:

“This opportunity exposed us to a whole new crowd that doesn’t necessarily listen to our genre of music, so it was great that we got to be exposed and share our sound with new music fans!” – Edge of Paradise	“ Really exciting! We were on tour at the time so it was a morale booster.” – Pan
“It felt good to be picked as a finalist. Although I didn’t win, it opened up more opportunities through that client for future inside gigs and opportunities.” – Septimius The Great	“I don’t generally get too excited but this opportunity is very exciting indeed! To be given the opportunity to be seen and heard by millions, well words fail me, it’s fantastic news!” – She’s Got Claws
“When I submitted to the Rush Bro’s Battle opportunity, it was because I actually thought it was pretty awesome. I’m kind of a gamer, and gamers kind of love my music.” – The Ground Above

Performing at the Liberty Music Festival 2013

In a city rich with historical ubiquity, and a street famous for its arts, entertainment, and eclectic culture, The Legendary Dobbs has been a long-standing institution for artists and music enthusiasts alike. The venue will host the Liberty Music Festival 2013 and these three ReverbNation artists were selected to perform:

 

Perform at Kingdom Bound Christian Music Festival

Kingdom Bound Christian Music Festival, now in its 27th year, is looking for the right Christian artists to participate in a live Talent Competition at Kingdom Bound 2013. The festival has previously hosted Casting Crowns, TobyMac, Chris Tomlin, Third Day, Switchfoot, Jeremy Camp, David Crowder, and the Newsboys. This year’s headliners are Lecrae, Hillsong LIVE, Newsboys, and NEEDTOBREATHE.

Here are the winners:

“Playing at Kingdom Bound is an incredible opportunity. We couldn’t help but feel that the timing was perfect.” – Lightfall Worship	“This is the first time that I’ve been selected for a show opportunity and I couldn’t have asked for a better one to be selected for!” – Noel McLeary
“I flipped out because I had actually won! It definitely is a big deal for me and I am most grateful for the opportunity.” – Nyerry Weaver

More Winners: San Diego IndieFest, Unity Christian Music Festival, Features in Songwriting Magazine and an Upcoming Film

These artists were selected rock out at the San Diego IndieFest:

“To be a part of something such as San Diego Indie Fest, is a dream come true for any aspiring artist.” – Lyrically iLLz	“We were super excited when we found out that our application had been accepted and that we would be able to be a part of this awesome music event in our hometown.” – Katie Leigh and the Infantry
“It truly is an authentic indie festival. The past few headliners have been artists we admire, so we are so thrilled to be sharing the main stage with the brilliant CAKE this year.” – Saucy Monky	“There is always a feeling of community at IndieFest. Being able to see artist like Talib Kweli, Cake and Best Coast is a wonderful feeling.” – The Lyrical Groove/Kendrick Dial
“To finally be a part of something so special to the San Diego music scene feels incredible.” – Circle 7	“Being chosen gave me the courage to submit to other opportunities and look for more gigs! I can’t wait to perform at the San Diego IndieFest in August!” – Emily Ann Laliotis

Mike Bowman	Trigs
“It’s a great event and we are pumped to be a part of it. Feels great to be chosen for this opportunity.” – Social Club	The Brothers Burns & J.Phatts
Judgement Day

These eight artists will rock the stage at the Unity Christian Music Festival:

“This is my first time signing up for an opportunity like this and out of at least 2 million artist that are on ReverbNation I got picked. I thank the Unity Festival for letting me be apart.” – James White	Vertical Bridge
Scarlet White	Edge From Falling
Messenger	Luke Cyrus Band

“It’s not the first time we’ve submitted to an opportunity, but it is the first opportunity we’ve won. Being selected for a ReverbNation opportunity feels like progress.” – Close

Matt Moore

Congrats to all of July’s Breaking Artists!

Don’t want to miss out on the next opportunity?

There are four ways you can use to stay up-to-date on the latest gigs (we recommend using all of them to ensure nothing gets missed!):

• Follow our updates on Twitter (@Gigs and @ReverbNation) and Facebook
• Check the email updates we send you
• Check the latest Opportunities on this page
• Go to your Control Room on your Reverb page > click “Opportunities”

So, where’s your next gig?