New funding is music to band’s ears

Leeds-based band, Polo, has been no stranger to performing at live venues across the country. With an alternative flair and impressive expertise, the band has a loyal following of committed fans who are always eager to hear new music.

With the ambition to create their first debut album, Polo secured £3k funding from the Leeds City College Arts Fund, turning their creative vision into a reality. 

Album aspirations

The Arts Fund will be used to write, produce and release Polo’s first album.

The band’s album aims to represent their current creative state and showcase many years of songwriting together.

Daniel Egdell, band member of Polo, hopes the album will expand their audience and develop their craft through the completion.

“We are utilising the fantastic facilities at Leeds City College’s Quarry Hill Campus to support with composition, mixing, recording and arranging. Running over a year in length, the project encompasses a wide range of practices within the arts. 

“Our album will be around 50 minutes in length and will be commercially released with a full PR and radio campaign, also hopefully accompanied by a series of live shows. ”

Overcoming hurdles 

The Arts Fund initiative was launched due to a lack of funding for aspiring creatives. 

“Receiving funding as an artist is essential when embarking on large scale creative pursuits. Although we have been fortunate enough to gain funding from the PRS Foundation, funding from other bodies has been minimal. 

“We would encourage other artists who are applying for funding to take time with their application, work out what they need and why and define a clear angle in their approach.”

Championing education

Band members, Daniel and Luke, are both teachers who are actively involved with the education of young musicians in Leeds and surrounding areas.

“As a collective, we hold the value of education in the highest regard. The fund has allowed us to combine our passion for education with the creative endeavour of our ensemble. 

“We’re in the process of planning a series of online workshops for college students, which will cover key aspects of our creative practice, such as songwriting, performance and production. These workshops will be interactive and allow time for the students to ask questions about working creatively in a professional context. We’re also excited to showcase our work in the college theatre this year, which we hope will inspire the next generation of musicians.”

Singing the Arts Fund’s praises 

The funding has allowed Polo to overcome previous financial restraints, which has before limited the potential of their work.

“Having the financial support of the fund has allowed us to pursue our creative vision. Thanks to the fund, we have been able to extend the reach of our practice through working with industry-leading professionals; subjecting our work to only the highest standards. 

“The opportunities that the arts fund has presented will in turn feed into the longevity of our project as a whole; the album release will help to grow our live show, streaming figures and overall fan base.”

The third round of funding for the Leeds City College Arts Fund is set to be launched early this year.