We entered the UK Songwriting Contest back in June this year. We kindof forgot about the competition until we received an email with a link to check the results of the competition online.

"The UK Songwriting Contest is an annual international songwriting event that was formed with The BRIT Trust (of BRIT AWARDS fame) to encourage and promote the art of songwriting. The contest is supported by some of the most highly respected names in music and all entries are very carefully examined by experienced industry professionals. Everyone has the chance to get noticed. Many important people in the music industry follow this event closely, and past winners and finalists have been noticed by prominent members of the music community including Sir Paul McCartney and Simon Cowell. For example, Natalie Chua, a past winner, was signed by Simon Cowell for his band Angelis and she received a platinum disc for sales of over 500,000."

We finally finished up as being a Semi Finalists, just missing out on the finals with a score of 7 for our song Freeriding.

Most songs receive a score of either 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7. Very few songs will receive a low score of 1 or 2 and very few will receive a high score of 8 or 9. The score of 10 is not used during the judging and is reserved for the winning song in each category.

EXPLANATION OF THE JUDGES SCORING

• A score of 1 or 2 indicates that your song was considered to be poorly written in comparison to other songs in the contest. It indicates that in the judges opinion the song needs either almost complete re writing or, especially in the case of a score of 1, abandoning.
• A score of 3 indicates that this is an acceptable composition and that it follows the accepted standards of song form, presentation, melody, metre etc. Although the song would almost certainly benefit from re working and re writing it clearly shows songwriting ability and talent.
• A score of 4 or 5 indicates that this is a good song and it will receive a Commended Entry Certificate. A score of 5 indicates that the song very nearly made the semi finals. All songs with a score of 4 and 5 are considered for the semi finals.
• A score of 6 or 7 indicates that the song made the semi finals panels and is one of the stronger songs in the contest. All these semi finalist songs are considered by the selection panels for the finals and a score of 7 indicates that the song was a borderline finalist and almost made it through to the finals.
• Songs with a score of 8 or 9 are finalists and are all considered for the winning and runner up positions. All runners up have a score of 9 and these few high scoring songs are all very carefully considered for the winning position in their respective categories. The winning songs in each category receive a score of 10.

We were very happy to be placed as Semi Finalists, and look forward to entering the competition again in the new year.

This is a new track we have just finished with our new band member Tel Jacobson. It was quite strange the way the track came about. I had been working with the groove for a little while, then we decided to use some lyrics which Tina had written months ago which fitted perfectly with the groove, then Tel had his own guitar riff which he had been playing a number of years but never found anything to fit to it. So by chance it all came together nicely.

Tel brings a new dimension to our sound, he plays some very tasteful guitar which the tracks are crying out for.

You can listen to the song on the media-player on the right sidebar!

'Brilliant' 'Superb' 'Great Song' were just some of the comments made by the reviewing panel on Billy Butlers 'Stars In Your Ears' regarding our song Freeriding.

The Panel are made up of Lyn Staunton of Power Promotions - Liverpool, Bobby Sox of Bobby Sox and the Prize Guys and Gary Murphy - an award winning musician who is highly regarded as one of the best guitarists in the UK and who will be talking his 'Guitar Legends' to the Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool.

It was great for us to have such positive comments and feedback, and to also have been compared to Neil Young with our writing by one of the reviewers!

Onwards and Upwards!

You can download the radio-broadcast, or listen to the broadcast on the media player on the right sidebar.

This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence.

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Well we have finally finished Freeriding. It's been a hard slog trying to create the finishing touches on the track, with so many takes your innovation starts to evaporate! We must thank Brian Evans for his wonderful drumming on the track, it was just what the doctor ordered! And gives the track the 70's feel which we where certainly after.

You can listen to the tracks on the media player in the right sidebar, we will be putting the songs on CD-Baby very soon.

Album Cover

We have also added new tracks to the Ursastwin website, including Another Time which is more up-beat and funky.

Finally since we have finished the tracks we can start on new material which is always very exciting, we our however going to re-record some of our best tracks from our last album Chameleon, which includes Closure, You Don't Get It and Walking Wounded.