After hundreds of thousands of votes were cast online, the eight acts vying for the cover of Rolling Stone – as well as an Atlantic Records contract – have been narrowed down to a group of four: Lelia Broussard, Empires, Fictionist and the Sheepdogs. Vote for your favorite before May 13th, when this round closes. The two remaining groups will advance to the final round – an epic battle of the bands at the Bonnaroo festival in June.

Choose the Cover of Rolling Stone: Vote Now!

There will be plenty to see and hear in the meantime: The four acts will head into the studio to record another round of new tracks with a top producer, and film new live performances and Q&A sessions to be shared on this site.  The winner of the contest will be announced on the August 2nd episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon – and they'll go on to make their live television debut on the show.

We recorded the four finalists' reactions to the big news. Check out a video compiling the responses below.

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