AXS TV - a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, Inc. - puts the spotlight on rising stars from across the country in the all-new original music competition Banded, an innovative series that redefines the traditional "build-a-band" concept and showcases exceptional up-and-coming artists who can play, write, and sing. Banded episodes will premiere each week on AXS TV starting Saturday, May 13 at 9 PM, ET. The series also will roll out weekly across all of AXS TV's digital channels starting Friday, May 12.
Mötley Crüe frontman, Vince Neil, will serve as a guest judge on the upcoming show. A message states: "We are honored to have Vince Neil as a part of Banded."
Banded is hosted by musician and television personality Brandon Jenner, with recording artist and American Idol finalist Didi Benami as co-host.
In the series premiere, 25 contenders will be placed into five brand new multi-genre bands under the tutelage of Grammy-winning and -nominated songwriters, producers, and artists such as Songwriters Hall of Fame honoree Wendy Starland, credited with discovering and developing Lady Gaga; as well as Paul Ebersold, Steve Diamond, Justin Wilson, and Dave Pahanish.
Each week will feature a roster of legendary mentors and guest judges from across the music spectrum, such as metal icons Vince Neil and Kip Winger; chart-topping country star Steve Azar; Vans Warped Tour mastermind Kevin Lyman; and world-class rock 'n roll drummer Mark Schulman, among many others.
The inaugural season presents eight all-new episodes, with six hour-long episodes bookended by the 90-minute season premiere and season finale. A special video podcast will accompany each episode, as Banded contestants and stars breakdown all the latest happenings from the show.
"We are extremely pleased to announce our partnership with AXS TV in launching the inaugural season of Banded," said Nico Albano, Executive Producer of the series. "AXS TV's national and digital platforms are incredibly robust, giving viewers multiple ways to conveniently enjoy our content. We hope that this will be the beginning of a long-lasting relationship between AXS TV and Banded, and we look forward to continuing to work with them as we move forward into the future."
"Banded is the perfect complement to our growing lineup of all-new original music-themed programming, putting a fresh spin on the standard music competition format that brings viewers into the fascinating creative process that each band undertakes," said Katie Daryl, AXS TV's Vice President of Programming. "We have some truly talented competitors and world-class mentors onboard, and we cannot wait to share all of this and more with our audience when Banded premieres on AXS TV's platforms next month."
GameTV will be the exclusive Canadian broadcaster of Banded. The series will air every Saturday at 7 PM, ET on GameTV, beginning July 8.
"We are excited to be the exclusive home in Canada, and look forward to premiering it this summer," said Maria Donatelli, Director Of Programming for GameTV.
Series sponsors include Embassy Suites by Hilton Nashville Downtown, Verijet, Colgate Optic White, Maggiano's Little Italy, Bulova/Citizen, PRS Guitars, Roland, Gretsch, Zildjian, DW, Fender, and Remo.
