Two years ago, The Whisky Flowers were finding their feet in Kettering’s local music scene. Now, they’re preparing to represent the UK on two international stages.
Not bad for a band that started at a jam night.
The four-piece, made up of Steph Ashcroft, Aiden Pryor, Elliot Clark and Ben Hart, have been crowned winners of the 2026 UK Blues Challenge, earning themselves a place at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee, in January 2027, followed by the European Blues Challenge in Portugal that April.
The competition, organised by the UK Blues Federation, saw The Whisky Flowers perform alongside Bison Hip, Will Wilde, Lightning Threads and Hollie Rogers at Marshall Studios on 26 September. It was the closest result in the competition’s history, with just three points separating the top four acts.
And this isn’t their first big moment of 2026. Earlier this year, the band also picked up Emerging Act of the Year at the UK Blues Awards, making this a pretty incredible year for four musicians who came together through their hometown scene.
“It felt like the air had been punched out of our lungs when they announced us as the winners. We honestly still can’t believe it,” the band said.
“To have shared the stage with such phenomenal artists was an honour in itself. We’re incredibly grateful to the UK Blues Federation and to everyone who has supported us on this crazy whirlwind of a journey so far.”
But while winning the opportunity is one thing, getting there is another.
The Whisky Flowers are entirely independent and self-funded, and taking four band members, their instruments and equipment across the Atlantic doesn’t come cheap. With flights, accommodation and travel to consider, the band estimates they’ll need around £10,000 for Memphis and a further £6,500 for Portugal.
They’ve now launched a Crowdfunder to help make both trips possible.
“We’ve prided ourselves on being independent and everything we’ve done so far has been completely self-funded,” explains guitarist and vocalist Aiden Pryor. “I’m personally really proud of that, but taking this opportunity is simply something we don’t have the funds for.”
It’s a familiar reality for independent artists. The opportunities might be getting bigger, but that doesn’t mean the budgets grow with them.
And that’s what makes this story so special. The Whisky Flowers haven’t come through a major industry machine. They’ve grown through local jam nights, grassroots venues, live performances and a community of people who’ve backed them from the beginning.
Now that same community has the chance to help take them even further.
The response has already been incredible, with the campaign raising more than £3,800 from over 90 supporters in its first 24 hours.
“Being part of The Whisky Flowers has changed my life,” says vocalist and guitarist Steph Ashcroft. “To be given an opportunity like this feels like an absolute dream and, with all the blood, sweat and tears we’ve poured into this band, we’ve got to shoot our shot.”
For Fleckies, this is exactly why grassroots music matters. The artists playing your local jam night today could be representing their country tomorrow. But those next steps aren’t always possible without the people who helped them get started.
The band’s first priority is Memphis, with a registration deadline of 20 November and a target of raising the initial £10,000 by mid-November.
From a jam night in Kettering to the home of the blues.
Now that’s a journey worth getting behind.
Support The Whisky Flowers:
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/whisky-flowers-blues-challenge-fundraiser
