365 Days To Get My Band Signed: Bailey Tomkinson

Photo via @baysings13 / credits @meganhemsworth

From the sun-soaked beaches of St Ives to festival stages across the UK, Bailey Tomkinson has spent years carving out her own path in music. Alongside her band, the Cornish singer-songwriter has built an impressive independent career, supporting the likes of Keane and Simple Minds, appearing at major festivals including Boardmasters and The Great Escape, and steadily growing a devoted fanbase. 

After releasing her debut EP Hey Ace in 2018, Bailey continued to develop a sound deeply rooted in her surroundings. Her latest EP, Witching Hour, blends dreamy melodies, shimmering instrumentals and nostalgic influences, creating a soundtrack that feels equally at home on a coastal road trip as it does at sunset on a Cornish beach. 

Her journey began long before the stages and social media series. “I grew up on the beautiful beaches of St Ives in Cornwall, writing country-leaning songs inspired by the coast and the nostalgic artists I loved growing up," she says. “You could say I'm a bit of a Coastal Cowgirl." 

The connection to Cornwall remains at the heart of everything she does. In 2026, though, Bailey set herself a new challenge: documenting her journey to secure a record deal through a social media series called 365 Days To Get My Band Signed. 

Every day, she shares a glimpse into life as an independent artist, whether that's performing live, writing songs, travelling between shows or simply sharing the realities of chasing a dream in the music industry. 

The series itself was a family effort. “It was actually my sister's idea," Bailey explains. 

The challenge was born from a moment that once felt like it could change everything. In 2020, one of her songs unexpectedly went viral, briefly outselling Dua Lipa on the iTunes chart and opening doors she had only imagined. 

“Suddenly I was in the national press, speaking to major labels and having conversations with people in the industry I'd only dreamed of connecting with," she recalls. “It felt like everything was building towards a huge opportunity." 

She had signed with a talent agency and was preparing for a showcase in London when the pandemic brought everything to a sudden halt.

“Overnight, everything came to a stop." 

While many artists struggled through that period, Bailey spent the years that followed rebuilding momentum. The social media series became a way of creating opportunities on her own terms while inviting fans to join her journey.

“It's helping us reach new audiences around the world and giving people an honest look at what it's really like to be an independent artist chasing a dream," she says. “I truly believe in what we're building, and I want people to be part of the journey." 

In an era when social media has become one of the most powerful tools for music discovery, consistency is often as important as creativity. Some videos take hours to create, while others are filmed in minutes, but there's never a guarantee of what audiences will connect with. 

For Bailey, the reward has been seeing the series resonate far beyond Cornwall. 

“The series has reached millions of people so far, and our social media has grown massively this year," she says. “Now we just need everyone to come to a show!" 

Bailey Tomkinson live at the Lafayette London / via @baysings13 / credits @katzdeli

The challenge has already led to new opportunities, from media coverage and performance slots to connections with fellow artists around the country. One of the most meaningful moments, however, came through a partnership with Taylor Guitars. It was the fulfilment of a childhood dream. “The only acoustic guitars I've ever really played have been Taylors," she says. 

She remembers being 11 years old when her music teacher suggested she needed something better than the upside-down, left-handed guitar she had inherited from her uncle. For her birthday, her dad took her to choose her first proper instrument, and she left with a second-hand Big Baby Taylor. 

“From that moment, I dreamed of becoming a Taylor artist one day." 

Years later, after thousands of gigs and countless hours spent writing and performing, that dream became reality. 

“They told me they believed in what I was doing and sent me one of my dream guitars," she says. “I genuinely cried when it arrived." 

As exciting as those opportunities have been, Bailey believes one of the most important aspects of the series is the spotlight it shines on Cornwall's thriving music scene. 

While many emerging artists feel pressure to relocate to major cities, she has remained firmly connected to her roots. 

“Cornwall has such a vibrant and growing music scene, and I think people are often surprised by just how much incredible talent exists down here," she says. 

Photo via @baysings13 / credits @maganhemsworth

From grassroots venues to established festivals, the county has become a creative hub for artists across a range of genres. Venues such as Old Bakery Studios, The Balcony, The Acorn Theatre and Lusty Glaze continue to provide essential spaces for musicians to develop their craft and connect with audiences.

Bailey and her band are passionate about protecting those spaces at a time when grassroots venues across the UK continue to face challenges. 

“It's so important that people continue supporting grassroots music," she says. “If you've got a spare £10 and an evening free, go and see a local band this week. You never know, you might discover your new favourite artist." 

Despite the title of her social media challenge, Bailey is realistic about what success looks like. While getting signed remains an ambition, it is not the sole measure of whether the project has achieved its goal. “If more people discover our music, that's already a success," she says. “Getting signed isn't really the end goal. It's just one possible route to achieving the bigger dream." 

And the dream has always been simple: making music, touring, and connecting with people through songs that mean something. 

The challenge is now about building a community, creating opportunities and proving to herself and her band just how much they are capable of. 

“If, a year from now, we've grown our community, sold more tickets and reached new listeners, I'll be incredibly proud," she shares. 

Whether a record deal arrives or not, Bailey Tomkinson's journey is already proving that success isn't always about waiting to be discovered. Sometimes it's about creating your own opportunities, staying true to who you are and bringing people along for the ride.