Two Frome bands will compete in the semi-finals of Bristol’s biggest battle of the bands, with the chance to boost their profile across the South West.
Jump Jump Joan and Butane Skies have reached the semi-finals of Underdog 2026, set to be held at Thekla in Bristol on 12th April.
Prizes include £1,000, two full days in a professional recording studio, a promotional photoshoot, custom t-shirts, a mini tour of the South West, and the opportunity to play the final at the O2 in Bristol.
Lead singer and rhythm guitarist of Jump Jump Joan, Sarah Hobbs, said it was a “great opportunity” for new bands.
“We were really thrilled to win our heats,” she said. “There were 72 bands who went into the initial heats, run over 12 events at the Thunderbolt in Bristol.
“We were in the final heat on Valentine’s Day, which was alt rock/pop/punk. A winner is chosen from each heat, based 50% on judging and 50% on audience votes, so getting people along to support us was really important.
“Out of the 72, 18 bands go through to the semi-finals at Thekla, which has a capacity of 400 people. Most of the bands are unsigned, so it’s a step-up for us and a great opportunity to get good gigs.”
Jump Jump Joan formed in 2023 after Sarah and her friend Dan started writing and recording music together.
“We started collecting musicians in Frome and got together in 2023. All our songs are written by us. We recorded an EP and have been trying to play as many gigs as possible since then,” Sarah said.
She added, “Frome has a brilliant music scene and people really support independent venues. We’ve played venues across the country, including the Fiddlers Elbow in Camden. It can be difficult to get people to gigs, so when we went to Bristol we organised a minibus to bring fans from Frome. We’re really trying to get people along.”
Sarah said the band is now focusing on improving their live show. “We have a lot of work to do – visuals, sound plan, refining our set. We’re going to make it as good as possible for the semi-final.”
Pictured: Jump Jump Joan
