DAVID Green is on the search for the next big thing.

Since setting up a record label in Wilderspool Park, the 42-year-old and his team of 15 have sifted through 300 bands before signing 11 artists that they think have a shot at taking on the music industry.

David's independent label, Playing With Sound, will also be working with Viola Beach. And he reckons the Warrington band's success story will have a knock-on effect on the music scene as a whole

The Padgate resident said: "We are involved in an exclusive remix with Viola Beach and Jack Candela.

"The trajectory of the band is unbelievable. The band recorded their track, Swings and Waterslides, with Sugar House Productions and then it took completely took off for them.

"It was picked up by Dave Monks at BBC Introducing. The next minute they’re at Maida Vale Studios.

"It’s really put the spotlight on Warrington and one of our bands called No Hot Ashes know Viola Beach through playing together at various venues in the north.

"It’s a bit of a community in that sense and when one band takes off it runs like wild fire."

David decided to set up Playing With Sound as an offshoot of his company Ameritz which has been running since 1998.

The firm started out making tapes of backing tracks and now it helps get music onto streaming services like Spotify.

David added: "It’s becoming increasingly more important because CDs are falling into the past and downloads are doing the same thing funnily enough.

"Because we’ve got that expertise already it seemed a logical step to go into the music scene. We’re working with a lot of studios and producers.

"For example, we’re bringing one of our bands, Gold Jacks, to work with Paul Reeve who has produced music for Muse."

So how does David go about choosing who to work with?

"It's just through gut instinct to be honest," he told Weekend.

"We started at the beginning of last summer and I think we looked at 300 bands. It was quite exhausting but now we have 11 artists.

"As well as the music it’s the attitude of the band we’re looking at.

"We understand that a lot of these artists are just 18 or 19 but in this industry it can be very up and down and they have to be prepared for that.

"You can have a spike and then it can all get taken away so they have to be very careful who they work with.

"I’m trying to find artists that not only write good music but also have the ability to navigate their careers sensibly and not be too overwhelmed by what’s being asked of them.

"Because if we put on a 10-day tour they have to basically live in a van on a motorway but it’s a means to an end. The end result can be very positive."

David also said the perception of talent scouts being at gigs is also slightly outdated.

The former Padgate High School pupil added: "We do go to gigs but it’s not a good way of finding a band I don’t think.

"If a band wants to get noticed I suggest they focus really heavily on their online activity because that is what most of these tastemakers are looking at.

"It’s massively important. There’s a Manchester band called Slow Readers’ Club and they’ve basically managed to forge their own path.

"They’ve not really needed the help of any major record label and they’ve got a massive following. In this day and age you can do it and that’s how we hope we can help these artists

"We’ve got this facility to do their online stuff full time for them while they concentrate more on recording and playing live."

David said that one of the few things that has not changed in the music business is the importance of BBC Radio 1.

He said: "Getting on to the Radio 1 playlist has been the Holy Grail in the UK since the 1950s. It’s incredibly competitive but we have systems in place that give us a good shot at it."

But just as important is Spotify.

David "We understand in this day and age if you don’t get on streaming services you’re kind of invisible to the average smart phone user.

"We’ve got our band No Hot Ashes on the Best of Alternative Indie 2016 playlist.

"It’s brilliant because the playlists are done by people who know what they’re doing and gets that noise of 30 million tracks into the background."

- Playing With Sound is hosting its record label launch party at Night and Day Cafe in Manchester on February 26 with live music from Gold Jacks, Heater and Holly Rose and Sankofa.

Tickets are £4 or £5 on the door. Search for Playing With Sound on skiddle.com

- If you are in a band and would like Playing With Sound to hear your music, the best way is to send a SoundCloud link. Contact details are at playingwithsound.net

DAVID MORGAN