NORTH-EAST band Stone Coda will launch their debut album tonight at The Cornerhouse, Middlesbrough.

The Darlington band won The Northern Echo music contest, The Big Chance, last year.

The first prize provided Stone Coda with three days in the Sanity Multimedia Studio, Stockton, to work on their CD, titled Sleeping Vertical.

Sanity Multimedia was so impressed, it offered the rock band a recording deal and signed them to its record label.

The band, made up of guitarist Leroy Buckley, brother Aly on bass and Jason Panudy on drums, has spent the past year working on the project.

Leroy said: "It is energetic, impulsive and raucous to listen to. The album is thought-provoking because it discusses the multiple emotions that we all go through every day."

Desperation of the Nation is the band's single release and they have produced a video to go with it. Adam Sayers, the director of Sanity Multimedia, said: "The concept of the video is desperation. It follows four people. One is desperate for love, one is desperate for a cigarette, and so on."

Media launches in London and Glasgow will help promote the CD to a wider audience, and a tour is being planned.

This year's Big Chance final will be on Friday, September 24, at The Forum Music Centre, Borough Road, Darlington.

Jamie Sample, Ask My Cat, Freerunner and The Modes will compete for a prize of time in Sanity's recording studio, artwork provided by House of Type and funds towards artwork printing.

For ticket details, log on to www.thisisrevolution.co.uk