For the fifth year in a row BBC Music Introducing was represented with a stage at Guernsey Arts Commission‘s Arts Sunday event. Matching the growing scope of BBC Music Introducing in the Channel Islands the stage featured five acts including performers from Guernsey, Jersey and Sark across the day.

The day began in relaxed form with acoustic singer-songwriter Hollie Lucia.

Having emerged onto the scene as a solo artist late last year Hollie has released a couple of popular singles, Scales-Weights and Bunny Bunny, in recent months and her set here saw her channeling the sounds of those releases into a more confident live performance than I have seen from her since she returned to solo gigging.

Despite the early hour for the self confessed night owl Hollie sounded great and caught the attention of more than a few of the passing crowd who had headed out early to see what was on offer, providing a highly enjoyable and mellow start to an increasingly energetic day.

Having caught the early flight over that morning, Jersey artist Monty Taft was up next fresh from a tour of the UK including a performance as part of the Camden Rocks festival the previous weekend.

After a slight technical hitch Monty launched into his set with a mix of deftness and power in his playing that was great to hear.

While I’m sure more than a few have compared his solo acoustic sound to Ed Sheeran, for me it fell closer to the earlier proponents of that style, particularly the likes of Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, as he mixed a confidence and energy with a down to earth honesty.

Along with this a judicious use of effects on his acoustic sound never became a ‘gimmick’ but elevated the sounds he was creating very nicely and, for his first outing in Guernsey, he seemed to win quite a few new fans so hopefully we see him back sooner than later.

Things kicked up a few levels next as Track Not Found hit the stage with their usual mix of punk, grunge and riotgrrl rock.

Channeling the same controlled energy they exhibited at their gig at The Imperial last month they soon had a crowd stopped on the seafront watching on — some clearly in surprise at first discovering the trio.

With guitarist and lead vocalist Grace heading off the stage a couple of times to really get up close with the crowd it was clear that the band made quite an impression with a punchy set that might have been a little on the shorter side but never let the energy drop.

Hot off the heels of a tour of the south of England, Sark originated quintet The Recks had a crowd gathered before they even began and after a slightly rushed set up they wasted no time in kicking off the set strong.

As it went on it was clear the tour had seen them sharpen their sound even further with frontman Richey Powers now armed with a Telecaster and even cracking out a guitar solo during relatively new addition Red Rocking Chair.

Speaking of new songs, two got their Guernsey debut here with both continuing to bring all the right ingredients to be future live favourites and one in particular bringing a jazzy vamp that I could see whipping audiences into a frenzy once its bedded in.

With the sun still shining on a day where the weather had exceeded all expectations, Burning At Both Ends were the final band on the BBC Introducing stage and put in a set that was as slick and as tight as ever.

Combining elements of pop punk, metalcore and straight up pop rock they again kept a crowd stopped on the seafront road and looked to be having more fun on stage than sometimes which was certainly infectious.

My highlight of the set again came with FAD Island which given the return of particular show to our screens in the last week or so was once again even more relevant and they closed the day off on a great point helping show, along with the other acts, just a hint of the wealth of new music being created around all the Channel Islands today.