Inspired idea showcases bands

6:49am Saturday 26th April 2008

Comments (1)   Have your say »

YOUNG entrepreneurs have galvanised the Oxfordshire music scene by producing a special recording.

The CD, Inspired, features songs from 11 local bands and artists and has been produced by Kaleido, a group of girls from Oxford High School, as part of the Young Enterprise scheme.

Joint managing director Clare Thakker, 17, said: "We wanted to do something creative that showcased the talents of the local community.

"Oxfordshire has an amazing music scene with bands such as Radiohead, Supergrass and The Foals coming out of it and we felt it needed promoting to people of our age."

The group of 14 girls, all aged 16 and 17, initially raised about £900 for their project by selling T-shirts and bags and encouraging friends and family to buy shares in the company.

Then, after Christmas, they started contacting local bands they they either knew, or contacted via social networking sites on the Internet, to see if they were interested in donating a track to the CD.

Now the CD is being stocked by Borders and HMV in Oxford.

Future plans may even involve arranging a gig, but first the girls have the small matter of sitting their AS-Levels.

Bands on the CD include Oxford-based Stornoway who have played at The Truck Festival, Abingdon rockers Obscene Addiction and Wantage pop punk outfit South Central Heroes. Tracks from the album have been featured on BBC Radio Oxford.

Inspired is on sale for £7 at Borders and HMV in Oxford and inquiries can also be directed to kaleido@hotmail.co.uk