Floodliners receiving the award pic: Next BRIT thing

It is a sunny spring Sunday, and on the rooftop of The Music Complex in Deptford, a recording and rehearsal space, local band Floodliners are trying to gather their thoughts on the past week.

The group consists of Lizzy Dayo and Ellis Dupuy, both 16; Georgia South and Daniel Carter, 15; and Jody Mattan, 18, all from Lewisham. They are all still at school, except Jody, who is at studying music at Lewisham College.

Together they form a bubbly, energetic crowd, and their appearance is as exuberant and expressive as their music. What they describe as a mix of “fuzzface, powerpunk, beatsynth and strafin’ rock” is probably the best way of summing up their style.

“We want to inspire the world,” says Lizzy, who sings and plays guitar, together with Jody.

They ooze confidence, and have every right to.

Earlier this month Floodliners wowed both the audience and jury as they won the PRS for Music song writing award in the Next BRIT thing, a national contest for young musicians, backed by the BRIT Awards, the UK music industry and the Government.

With what started as a public vote on Facebook, the group made it through three rounds, beating 36,000 contestants, and ended up winning the national final at the indigO2 in Greenwich on March 6.

“It really was the best day of our lives!” says Lizzy, and is backed by a choir of excited voices.

“To be honest, we did not expect it at all,” says Daniel, the group’s keyboard player. “We were so shocked that we couldn’t react, we just got up and had a big group hug, but couldn’t really take in what had happened.”

Looking back at what has been “the most exciting week ever,” they say it seems surreal.

“When we played live on the BBC Breakfast show earlier this week, we had to hurry back so we wouldn’t be late for school,” says Daniel.

The group met two years ago at a song writing workshop at Goldsmiths College in New Cross. When funding for the course was cut they decided to form a band, adding to the multiple acts that have emerged from the college and the area: Blake, Katy B and Blur, to name a few.

Through their different musical backgrounds emerged what they call a “supergenre,” inspired by “everything between Beyonce and Dubstep.”

“It kind of flows,” says Jody. “We all seem to have this link, which is just about being versatile, and that’s what we want our music to show.”

Georgia, Daniel, Jody, Lizzy and Ellis pic: Joanna Kindeberg

The group is managed by SE13 Records, a local production company which strives to promote young talent from South London.

“South East London is good because it is very real, but there are a lot of young people like us that don’t really have anywhere to go, because they are too young, or just not wanted in some places,” says Georgia, who plays bass.

“We’ve all had to give up stuff like sports and babysitting. Some of us are in the middle of GCSEs and A-levels, but it is just about working hard,” says Jody.

“And if we can make it this far then others can too.”

With the prize in the competition, a recording session at Strongroom Studios in Shoreditch and funding for music equipment, they aim to release a full-length album “as soon as we can.”

Already the gigs are lining up, including some with an audience age limit older than most of the band. And with a show at the legendary 100 Club on Oxford Street, home to acts such as the Rolling Stones and the Sex Pistols, in April, there seems to be no stopping this ambitious quintet.

“We want to go all the way,” they say unanimously.

“It really sounds cliché, but we just want to continue, not only because we love playing music, but also to show other young people that it can really be done,” Lizzy says.

“We started off so different but through music we came together and here we are. We want to spread that message, to never stop what you love doing.”

Floodliners are playing at the 100 Club on April 22.

To find out more visit their Facebook page.