Things are heating up in the Red Bull Studios Live at Download nationwide opportunity as the 15 finalists entered the studio ahead of the final voting stage.

From the hundreds of bands that entered in the initial application stage, 100 were chosen by the public and put through to the panel of judges (BBC Radio 1’s Huw Stephens, Kerrang Radio presenter Katie P, Red Bull Records label manager and music industry aficionado Angie Somerside and Download Festival veterans Don Broco) who handpicked the 15 bands they felt showed most potential.

With the chance to play to thousands of people at this year’s Download Festival and an additional opportunity for one band to receive a week’s recording time at Red Bull Studios and an unbelievable package worth £5000 from guitar suppliers to rock royalty Fender, the stakes are high.

From 5 – 9 May the 15 finalists undertook a professional studio experience in London at Red Bull Studios which included expert mentoring, professional photos and recording a live track in the state-of-the-art studio. Short films of each of the bands performances will be online from 19 May when final voting commences at www.redbullstudios.com/downloadfestival

Only eight of these bands will make it through to play on the stage at Download 2014 in front of thousands - 6 places will be filled with those whose studio videos collect the most votes, and two places will be ‘wildcards’, favourites of the judges. The first 6 winners will be announced on 23 May: 6 bands with the highest votes will automatically go through and appear on http://download.redbullstudios.com/. The final 2 judges wildcards will be announced via studio instagram @RedBullStudiosLondon

South Wales band Breathe in Silence from Carmathenshire have made it through a number of heats to the final 15, picked from hundreds both by the public and the judging panel.

This Friday they will be put back to the final public vote - the 6 bands with the most votes will go through to play at Download, with an additional 2 ‘wild cards’ being picked by the judges. Voting is open for a week, closing on Friday 23rd May.

You can lend your support to the band by visiting http://download.redbullstudios.com/band-2014/breathe-in-the-silence/