Davy Shanks wins acoustic battle

After an incredibly difficult decision for the judges, Davy Shanks was crowned the winner of the Slains acoustic competition last night and scored himself a great prize bundle for his efforts.

The panel of three judges, including shmuSOUND's Stevie Kearney, found very little to choose between the five finalists, but in the end it was Davy's immaculate guitar technique and original songs that sealed the win in the final, which was backed by shmu and 57º North. 

His prizes include £250 in cash, £150 to spend at iiMusic and a full day's studio time in our shmuSOUND studio in Tillydrone, giving him the chance to record and release his debut EP.

The runners-up were Kieran & Isla, who wowed the audience with some big vocals and interesting song choices - and thier prize is a live session on shmuFM in the new year.

Third place went to Lynne Taylor, with Zac Robb and Emma Hay both unlucky to miss out on a prize after great sets.

Davy, who works at Original 106 as their Head of News, has played live for years but has never had the chance to record his music, so is eagerly awaiting his studio time at shmu. He said he was surprised to win, given the high level of the competition, and went on to thank the other performers and the crowd, who were vocal in their support and greeted the decision with a thumping cheer.

Once the EP is recorded, we'll be sure to give it some airplay on shmuFM and get Davy booked in for a Band of the Week slot too.