LOCAL songwriters Paul Kealy and Jack Carey have made it to the semi-finals of one of the most prestigious songwriting competitions in the world, the International Songwriting Competition (ISC). Their song Slab City has been selected from more than 18,000 entries to proceed to the next round of the competition.

The ISC is an annual song contest that provides an opportunity for both aspiring and established songwriters to have their songs heard in a professional, international arena. ISC offers exposure and the opportunity for songwriters to have their songs heard by the most influential decision-makers within the industry.

Judges include Tom Waits, Chris Cornell, Bastille, Donovan, Ziggy Marley, Lorde, Dan McCarroll, president of Warner Bros Records, and Craig Kallman, chairman and CEO of Atlantic Records. Previous winners of the ISC include Gotye, Bastille, The Band Perry, Passenger and Gregory Porter.

Paul and Jack previously collaborated to win the USA Songwriting Competition, impressing music industry judges and A&R from Universal Music, Warner and Sony Music. The finalists in the ISC will be announced shortly and winners will be selected in May.