Vaughn Prangley has been making waves overseas and has recently been nominated as the only South African finalist in the Unsigned Only Music Competition for his song, ‘Breathing’.
‘Breathing’ is a powerful and emotive track, inspired by Prangley’s desire to break the silence about unhealthy relationships: “’Breathing’ tells the story of a person who feels trapped in an unhealthy relationship, which I’ve experienced myself. When I was finally able to break free from the relationship, it felt like I could breathe again – I had a fresh start, a blank canvas. It was very liberating. It is important to remove yourself from situations that make you unhappy. It would be wonderful if this track could nurture the ears of people who feel trapped in difficult situations.”
The song, which appears on his debut EP, ‘Where it Begins’.
Overwhelmed with excitement, Prangley shares more about his experience of making the cut to the finals, “I was sitting in class at school when the message popped up. I honestly just wanted to run out of class and shout out happy screams! I am so honored and lucky to have this incredible opportunity and feel even more so being the only South African finalist in the whole competition! How awesome to be representing my country internationally.”
Stream or download ‘Breathing’: https://li.sten.to/TqOJSH9
We all have become experts in the imbalance of uncertainty these days, newly accustomed to canceling plans and tentatively rescheduling them for some future we can only imagine. For Vaughn Prangley – a ruminative songwriter, intriguing guitarist, and singular voice – such sense of uncertainty has emerged as his steadfast companion these last few years, a period of profound transition.
“I think so many of us fear change and taking risks. We don’t like taking action when we are unsure of what the outcome may be. I encourage all the wonderful people out there to not be afraid to make a change and take the necessary risks when they aren’t feeling themselves”, Prangley adds.
Vaughn first made his mark back in 2020 with the release of his debut single, ‘Oasis’, which quickly garnered recognition from the likes of some of the biggest names in the South African music industry.
Since then, Vaughn has developed into one of the country’s most beloved rising stars, following the release of his debut EP, ‘Where it Begins’ back in March and the single, ‘Passing Seconds’, which was released in May this year and provides a teaser as to what to expect from his debut album, ‘Destination Unknown’, which is set for release in 2022.
Prangley is a singer with deep distinctive vocals and a songwriter with depth and vulnerability. “’Breathing’ has always had a very special place in my heart. It was the track that started this very exciting journey. Bringing the song to life in studio was truly remarkable. The walls of the Hit Lab Recording Studio were filled with creativity throughout every session. This song made my dream a reality and the fact that it has been chosen as a finalist is very sentimental”, Prangley adds.
Vaughn is thrilled as expected. With over 10 000 entries for the Unsigned Only Music Competition, down to 1 200 semi-finalists, he is now 1 of 12 finalists in the Teen Category.
In parallel to the formal judging, Unsigned Only are also running a fan vote competition, where the public can vote. The song with most public votes will be the 2021 Fandemonium winner, which is in addition to and separate from, the regular winners selected by the judges.
Get behind Vaughn by voting and supporting this multi-talented young artist.
Voting is open until August 31: https://www.unsignedonly.com/fandemonium~category-11
Watch Vaughn perform ‘Breathing’, live and unplugged:
Winners will be selected by a panel of judges comprised of celebrity artists and industry executives, including: Robert Smith (The Cure), Bow Wow, Black Francis (The Pixies), Aimee Mann, Ruthie Foster, Derek Brown (The Flaming Lips), Linda Perry, Ryan Adams and many more.
Martin Myers 
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