NEIGHBOURS poppet Caitlin Stasey looks set to be the next soap starlet to seek a pop career. The teenager is believed to be in negotiations to join the Snow Bunnies, a three-member girl band.
British super-producer and songwriter Tom Nichols, who is in Australia working on former Idol hopeful Dean Geyer's new album, won't confirm who will be in the group, which he plans to sign to his own label, Juicy Musik.
But Insider has it on good authority that Stasey will be in the line-up.
The vocalists I've found are staggering,'' admits Nichols, who wrote Kylie Minogue's hit song Fever.
I think the band is going to be phenomenally big about October of this year and will probably come to the UK around this time next year, so it is exciting.
''
Nichols has written material for the project with fellow songwriter Guy Sixworth, who has worked with Madonna and Bjork.
If you think of the last Madonna record, it is kind of up-tempo dance but in a very cool, club, European kind of way,'' Nichols says.
I guess what I was looking for was to find some really phenomenal vocalists down here who would be into working and writing on a project with me like that, and the Snow Bunnies were born out of that.
''
The Snow Bunnies will also be tied in with a reality show and a cartoon, says Nichols, who's worked with some of the biggest names in the business, including Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson.
Australians he's worked with include Stephanie McIntosh, Guy Sebastian, Holly Valance and Anthony Callea.
There is a bunch of stuff that Juicy Musik is doing in terms of new acts and TV shows and, for some reason, I have just found Australia has this abundance of talent.
''
Bands frozen out
AUSSIE bands Eskimo Joe and Starky have been forced to cancel their appearance at this month's South By Southwest music festival in the US.
Eskimo Joe had been a last-minute addition to the Australian troupe heading to the important schmoozing festival this month. But they pulled out because their US label, Ryko, had already finalised band slots for the showcase performances.
The festival's Aussie BBQ slate was also filled, so there was no space for the Eskimos.
As for Starky, their drummer left the band in December and they've been rehearsing a new member, but it didn't work out, so they had to miss the festival. More than 12,500 performers, record company executives, media and agents attend the annual SxSW (to be held from March 14-18 this year), making it an important avenue for Australian artists to break into the competitive US market.
Aussie bands going include Dallas Crane, Morning After Girls, the Presets, You Am I, Evermore, Josh Pyke, Sarah Blasko and Youth Group.
Virgin line upBECK and the New York Dolls have been added to the already impressive line-up for Virgin Mobile's inaugural Australian V Festival.
Already confirmed for the March 31 event at Sydney's Centennial Park are the Pet Shop Boys, Gnarls Barkley, Groove Armada and Jarvis Cocker.
SWEDEN'S Nudie Jeans Co is holding a big party in Sydney this week, flying in hip Swedish band the Caesars for the invitation-only event at Simmer On The Bay at Walsh Bay.
The Caesars are alternative rockers, most famous for their song Jerk It Out, which was used in an iPod ad and several PlayStation games.
STEPHANIE McIntosh's third single, So Do I Say Sorry First, from her album Tightrope, is out now.
To view exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and on-set interviews conducted during the making of the clip, click
We welcome your comments on this story. Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Please provide your full name.
We also require a working email address - not for publication, but for verification. The location field is optional.
News RSS