Elephants From Neptune
Change The World

There’d likely be little international interest in who’s won Estonia’s Skype Go Change the World award if former winner Ewert and The Two Dragons hadn’t gone on to land a dozen or so festival appearances via the European Talent Exchange Programme.

This year’s prize – and the euro 3,500 (US$4,500) that comes with it – has gone to Elephants From Neptune, supporting the widely-held theory that the country’s major acts are seemingly required to have rather silly names.

The Skype-sponsored prize is run by Tallinn Music Week, which smashed its attendance record April 5-6 by pulling more than 700 delegates.

In fact, the 5-year-old gathering has now become so popular that Estonia President Toomas Ilves suggested it might change its name to NXNE, as in North By North East.

Last year, the Tallinn-based Elephants From Neptune won rock album of the year at the Estonian Music Awards, as well as opening for Red Hot Chili Peppers in front of 30,000 at Tallinn Song Festival Grounds.

It also played some of the larger Baltic outdoors such as Latvia’s Positivus Festival and Sound Of Summer in Lithuania.

The act is now working with Juha Kyyrö’s Helsinki-based Fullsteam Agency, which also looks after Ewert and The Two Dragons.

“It’s one of the best new bands that I have listened to since a long time. Their talent is immediately noticeable and we believe that they have great potential outside of Estonia,” Fullsteam’s Toni Ritonen said.