Ahead of Radio X's specially curated X-Posure Winter Party, we spoke to Radio X presenter and guru of new music John Kennedy about to what to expect at this month's party, what makes a successful band and artists to watch in 2020.

Don't forget to buy your tickets to this month's Radio X, X-Posure Winter Party today and see of the most highly-anticipated bands of 2020 live!

Another Sky, Chartreuse and Junodream are playing at this year’s Radio X, X-Posure Winter Party. How is the line-up curated for these events?

I put together a long list of bands I'd like to put on that I've been playing and supporting on the radio show and send it over to the amazing Carlo at Communion. He then takes it from there and approaches all the relevant people. Carlo used to work at The Barfly where I hosted X-Posure Live nights each month for 15 years so he has a good idea of what and who I like. He also keeps an eye on who's been on the show as well. So it's always going to be a good reflection of the show.

What can audiences expect at a X-Posure Party and why should we come to January's event?

Expect great bands who play great sets and have bright futures! I always think each band on the bill is a crucial part of it and needs to be seen so you can't afford not to get there early. January is no exception. I like to introduce the bands so you can expect to see me on stage and it gets recorded for the radio so you can be a part of broadcasting history!

What made you choose venue Omeara for these events?

I love the space and it's run by great people. It's very band friendly which is really important and we can get a recording there too.

As the 'guru of new music' on Radio X, what do you think makes a new band stand-out amongst the rest? And can you usually tell from that first record if a band is going to be successful?

I don't think you can tell from somebody's first record whether they're going to be successful but you can tell a lot from a performance and their development over a period of time. It takes drive, ambition and dedication to be successful and you can see that some people have that more than others. But you also need that creative spark and ultimately I'm most interested in that. I choose bands to play that have something exciting about them that I want to share with other people.

Do you have your eye on any upcoming artists that you think will blow up in 2020?

There are always too many to choose from for me! I'm excited about Another Sky, Chartreuse and Junodream obviously. Plus Nova Twins, Dry Cleaning, Scrounge, The Mysterines, Benefits, Eilis Frawley, Roxy Girls, Kokoroko, Drugstore Romeos, PVA, Boniface, Deep Tan, Mush, Scalping, Yammerer, Handle, The Meffs, Tom Bright, Caro, Noisy, The Orielles and so many more.