A SWINDON band is in with a chance of hitting the big time.

YVES, who this Friday play a homecoming concert at The Victoria, is among the frontrunners in the prestigious Pirate Prodigy competition.

The rock band is up against 29 other artists from across the UK competing for the public’s vote.

The three bands that win the most votes will secure slots at top festivals this summer, gigs with record label representatives and support from a panel of expert mentors.

Three-piece YVES has already scored almost 6,300 public votes on the Pirate Studios website – placing them in the top three. The vote only opened on Monday and will run until Friday, April 20.

Frontman Harry Roke, 21, said: “We wouldn’t ever expect to be nominated for anything, so it’s always nice. It’s just crazy. We’re really working hard pushing the competition out to as many people as we can.

“Winning would mean so much - the mentoring that we would receive and the support we would get from it. We try and work as hard as we can.”

Initially up against hundreds of acts, YVES was put through to the final 30 by a judging panel that included Brit Award-winner Kate Nash and Reverend and the Makers frontman John McClure.

If they win the competition, YVES will secure recording spots at London-based Pirate Studios. The company’s co-founder, David Borrie, said of the Prodigy competition established by his firm: “We have 25,000 plus musicians in our community. A lot are producing amazing music. We find it incredible some of these guys aren’t already household names, so we thought it would be awesome if we could be the ones to give them a helping hand.”

YVES is taking to social media to win as many votes as they can.

Their votes bid follows a successful UK tour - the band’s first as a headline act.

Blunsdon-based singer Harry said it had been an “amazing” experience – with three shows selling out. One of the shows, at Cardiff’s Clwb Ifor Bach, was a particular highlight: “Everyone was really up for it and going for it.”

On Friday, the band play The Victoria pub in Old Town. “I’m really excited,” said Harry. “Normally, I’m quite nervous when we play in Swindon. This time we feel more prepared.”

To vote for YVES in the Pirate Prodigy competition, visit: www.piratestudios.co.uk/prodigy.