Meraki Festival is just around the corner and the singing stars of St Albans are getting ready to hit the stage.

Herts Advertiser: PapersnakesPapersnakes (Image: Archant)

Kavalla is an upcoming band fronted by Hertfordshire-raised Abi Murray.

Audiences at some of the top UK’s top festivals including Isle of Wight, Wilkestock and V-Dub Island have heard her sweet and soulful music, and this year, she’s coming to Meraki.

Hope Russell-Winter is another young St Albans based singer-songwriter. Hope received raving reviews from BBC Three Counties Radio, who dubbed her the next Adele.

She has already accumulated over five million hits and 30,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel.

Lauren Archer is an 18-year-old singer-songwriter from Harpenden who successfully infuses folk undertones with an electronic pop edge.

Citing her inspirations as Dua Lipa and Tove Lo, Lauren is currently putting together her debut single with help from some of the UK’s top music producers.

Another homegrown band performing is young, quirky and creative four-piece band, Written in Ink. Based in St Albans and Hatfield, the band has gradually been making a name for itself.

They draw on a wide range of classic rock influences such as Led Zeppelin and more contemporary bands like Muse. After a recent gig at The Horn, they have been heralded as “ridiculously promising”. Watch this space.

In 2007, St Albans based songwriting duo Paul Kerr and Chris Ward formed The Papersnakes. The band is focused on writing and performing original material and draw on an eclectic mix of rock, funk and reggae.

In early 2016, they performed their first acoustic radio session on Radio Verulam, and have since become regular performers on the Station.

Additionally, in 2017 they released their latest EP ‘Red Jeans.’