TWO musicians from York have won a national battle of the bands competition.

Rob Paterson, 20, and Flora Jackson, 19, beat 68 bands from universities around the country to take the i'Sessions prize, run by the Independent newspaper.

Rob and Flora are students at Manchester University, but originally from York, and their first appearance in the early heat stages was their first gig as Vanity Project.

Rob said: "It was all somewhat of a lucky thing. I happened to know the girl running the Manchester heat and she said we should do it. That was our first gig, and we didn't expect to win, but went on to win each heat.

"We met in an acting environment and we've been good friends ever since. We're involved with the children's theatre company Snickleway, based in York, and run children's shows every summer with them. We're both pretty musical and got to the point when neither of us were in a band and decided to get together and just do this."

Rob, a former Manor C of E student, and Flora, formerly a pupil at Bootham School, met when they were 12 through the York Youth Theatre. Flora identifies as a trans woman, and the music of Vanity Project touches on the topic, along with the difficulties of finding work after university.

Their music utilises a loop pedal, but Rob said the purpose was functional rather than a stylistic choice.

"It basically means we can be in a band even though there's only two of us. We're both control freaks and want to be in control of everything. It's not like we can get a drummer or a bassist. It took us a long time and a couple of failed gigs to work out how to use it properly."

The pair also drew on their theatrical experience for their onstage costumes for the final - which was judged by Radio 6 presenter Marc Riley and producer Tom Baker - and consisted of white boiler suits covered in stage blood and lipstick.

Rob said: "We just did that for the night, but think we'll continue it. We always wanted to wear something striking on stage and I think that maybe came from our background, but that it would be good to stand out a bit.

"I directed a play this semester which involved these boiler suits and one had to be covered in blood and because we're called Vanity Project, the other was covered in lipstick kisses."

The band already has gigs lined up in Manchester, but hope to book more on their return to York later this year.

Rob said: "I would love to do something in York over Easter or summer, because we have friends in York who want to see us in the new band, so hopefully we'll get to play at the Duchess or Fibbers."