Young Athena preforms at SoundOn Sessions: These opportunities don’t happen often

Up-and-coming artist Young Athena brought her distinctive brand of soul-infused pop and R&B to The Pioneer Club in St. Albans for the latest SoundOn Session.

The SoundOn Sessions mark the culmination of a new partnership between Headliner Spaces and SoundOn – TikTok’s all in one global distribution and marketing platform – aimed at shining a spotlight on the artists shaping the future of music by offering them the chance to perform at one of the UK’s top grassroots - The Pioneer Club.

One of the MOBO UnSung Class of 2023, it’s easy to see why Young Athena is drawing the attention of the industry, with her confident, commanding stage presence capturing the imagination of all in attendance. On an evening packed with talent, her set was undoubtedly one of many standout moments.

“My journey into music was quite a special one,” she tells Headliner before taking the stage, explaining how music first came into her life. “My mum was an opera singer and my dad was a rapper, so I’ve been surrounded by all kinds of music ever since I was born. I wrote my first song when I was 11 which was called Be Who You Are and was all about being the change you want to see in the world. Since then, I’ve been writing songs, singing, and I’m currently a Mastercard ambassador, which is very exciting.

“The support that SoundOn has offered to the MOBO UnSung Class of 2023 has been essential for up-and-coming artists,” she continues. “These types of opportunities and support doesn’t come very often, so when you are able to work with the likes of SoundOn and TikTok it is just an absolute pleasure. The advice they have given us on how to promote and market yourself is gold dust. We had an incredible day at TikTok HQ which was so much fun and their support has been absolutely priceless.”

Young Athena also went on to hail the role of initiatives like SoundOn Sessions in helping artists evolve their stage craft.

“Opportunities like this that help up-and-coming artists to develop who they are is really rare,” she says. “And shows like SoundOn Sessions that genuinely want to help you grow as an artist are a beautiful opportunity. And we’re exposed to so many other incredible artists. These shows provide an environment for growth and evolution as an artist. They are exceptionally important.”

As for the biggest challenges facing new artists today, Young Athena pointed to the issue of standing out in a heavily saturated market.

“Marketing is a challenge for up-and-coming artists,” she says. “Getting heard by the listeners is really difficult and finding places that offer exposure and engagement with fans is very challenging. And it’s why events like this are so important.”

As well as the fantastic performances at the latest SoundOn Session, another key component of the evening’s success was The Pioneer Club’s sound system, which is made up of eight JBL SRX910 line arrays, four SRX928S ground-stacked subs and four JBL PRX908 floor monitors.

Two PRX915 DJ monitors also feature at the venue, along with a Soundcraft Ui24 mixer. Two JBL PRX912s meanwhile are positioned on the VIP balcony as delays.

JBL’s presence at The Pioneer Club also reaches into its bar and mini performance area – The Suet Yard, complete with a bar powered by Signature Brew and a JBL-powered PA system that can accommodate everything from DJ sets and stripped back and acoustic sessions for up to 200 people.

The full PA system consists of a selection of speakers from JBL’s PRX Series, including PRX915XLF subwoofers, PRX908 and IRX108BT loudspeakers, as well as a Soundcraft Ui24R mixer.

The second SoundOn Session at The Pioneer Club was also the first show to utilise the venue's brand new LED wall and floor, courtesy of Leyard.

Furthermore, a comprehensive Martin Lighting rig works to spotlight the artists and sets the mood on stage and throughout the venue, which includes compact beam moving heads, bright single-lens LED moving heads, bright single-lens LED PAR cans, bright single-lens colour LED PAR can light fixtures, ultra-bright quad LED blinder fixtures and a JEM ZR35 fog machine.