The Fender Next Class of 2024 list has landed – sharing the 25 guitar-playing artists the brand has hand-picked to support and promote over the next year.
The final line-up has been narrowed down from a list of over 1,000 potential candidates and includes a diverse spread of genre styles and locales, albeit with a heavy bias towards the US.
As such, the likes of LA’s hotly-tipped hardcore band Militarie Gun rub shoulders with London R&B/pop songwriter Mayah Delilah and Argentine indie rockers Fin Del Mundo.
Then there’s Australian indie pop types Vacations, Chinese rock act Zion Yan and Taiwan’s LÜCY. You can check out the full list below – and Fender has also handily grouped them all together on a new Spotify playlist.
Previous Fender Next graduates have included Phoebe Bridgers, IDLES, Orville Peck, Madison Cunningham and Black Pumas, so since its launch in 2018, the team has developed a decent track record in picking promising players and helping them on their journey.
How do they do that? Well, there’s the usual collaborations and promotions via the firm’s social media channels and video output – including its not-insubstantial three million TikTok followers and 16 million cross-platform fans.
Then each act gets a Fender Next welcome pack including a 70th Anniversary Stratocaster, deluxe hardcare, a Mustang Micro, Fender Hammertone pedal and PreSonus headphones.
We imagine there might be further perks down the line, too, in the form of future endorsements et al.
Fender Next Class of 2024
- Adam Melchor (USA)
- Billyrrom (Japan)
- Deb Never (USA)
- English Teacher (UK)
- Fin Del Mundo (Argentina)
- Gayle (USA)
- Girl Ultra (Mexico)
- King Isis (USA)
- Jalen Ngonda (UK)
- Jawny (USA)
- Joy Oladokun (USA)
- Julie (USA)
- Lava La Rue (UK)
- LÜCY (Taiwan)
- Maya Delilah (UK)
- Militarie Gun (USA)
- Petey (USA)
- Q (USA)
- Royel Otis (Australia)
- Spill Tab (USA)
- TIMØ (Columbia)
- Vacations (Australia)
- w.o.d. (Japan)
- Zach Top (USA)
- Zion Yan (Mainland China)
“As we look to the future of players and creators, we're thrilled by the creativity and innovation they bring to the scene," says Fender’s SVP of Marketing, Matt Watts. “Here's to pushing boundaries and shaping the future of music together.”
You don’t have to look too hard to perceive that Fender has done notably better than many of its rivals in cementing a foothold with the next generation of players, seemingly becoming the popular choice for many Gen Z guitarists.
Fender’s Chief Marketing Officer Evan Jones was recently interviewed by The Drum [which, sadly, is less about percussion and more about marketing insights – Ed] and discussed the brand’s recent mission to attract younger players.
“The honest answer is you have to commit,” said Jones. “You have to be willing to embrace artists who may not look like, sound like or behave like artists from 30 years ago. I think that scares some brands, and some people, within the trade, but we actually embrace it.
“You have to be willing to go where the artist wants to go, and you have to meet them where they are. We’re also signaling that we are relevant and contemporary, and we’re on this journey with you, a journey that is not ours to dictate.”
For more on the Fender Next program, head to Fender.
