On the eve of the start of the 2014 Squamish Valley Music Festival comes the announcement of Jess Cullen as the winner of Virgin Mobile Presents Squamish Valley Music Festival and Galaxie’s Rising Stars talent competition. The Australian-born singer/songwriter has won the opportunity of the summer, a chance to perform in from of the Festival’s 35,000 fans, in addition to a $3000 cash prize.
Contestants submitted videos to the Rising Stars talent competition online and thousands of fans voted for their favourite artist. Five judges made the final decision in selecting the grand prizewinner.
Executive Producer of the Festival Paul Runnals says, “We had some absolutely outstanding applicants this year, it was an incredibly difficult decision but the artistry Jess Cullen presented in her video submission was what really stood out to the judges. We are very excited to welcome her to the 2014 Festival lineup.”
Jess Cullen grew up in Australia, spending her early years with a dusty untuned piano and her parent’s old country albums, to eventually pursue a University music degree while preparing for the release of her first album. She spent five years touring England and Europe, before deciding to plant her folky/rock roots in Vancouver. Jess’ melodies on her self-titled debut album have been praised for the sophisticated balance of catchy classic rock tunes, softer introspective folk, pop sensibility, and witty lyrics. Her rich and powerful voice, along with her passion for songwriting, ultimately won over the hearts of the fans and judges, as well as the Rising Stars title. She is scheduled to perform on Friday, August 8th on the Meadow Stage at the Festival.
The 2014 Virgin Mobile Presents Squamish Valley Music Festival, headlined by Bruno Mars, Arcade Fire and EMINEM, takes place this weekend, August 8, 9 & 10 at the Logger Sports Grounds and Centennial Fields in Squamish.
For the full line-up and more festival info visit SquamishFestival online and follow the Fest on Twitter @squamishfest #vmsquamish & Facebook. Follow Jess” performance behind the scenes on Twitter @JessCullenMusic