Words: Jane Davies
The 11th Sound City is going back to its roots in the city of Liverpool centre after stints at the Bramley Moor and Clarence Docks. The city’s musical venue landscape has changed dramatically during its four year hiatus from the city centre and the two day festival has now decamped to the creative and digital industries hub known as the Baltic Quarter.
Over the upcoming bank holiday weekend, May 5 - 6, more than 300 emerging and established artists will play in over 20 venues housed within old warehouses, intimate spaces, an old brewery and pop ups.
Headliners, DMA'S and Peace take centre stage on Saturday and Sunday respectively, with a whole host of exciting sets promised from a varied range of artists and musical styles.
Wondering who to see over the weekend? Let us help you with a few suggestions.
Slow Readers Club
Mancunian guitar electro-pop outfit who are one of the city’s most promising bands of the moment. Their credentials include airplay on BBC 6Music and Radio X and a sell-out UK tour in 2017. They clocked up many miles and new fans last year with numerous appearances at festivals such as Isle of Wight, No 6 and Dot to Dot. Their much anticipated second album, 'Build A Tower', is out this week.
Idles
A festival needs a bit of punk rock. Step forward, Bristol’s Idles who will supply plenty of expletives and attacks on the establishment in their lyrics. Their debut album ‘Brutalism’ was released last year to much critical acclaim; their second is pencilled in for later in 2018. They have recently supported Foo Fighters at their London 02 gig and have a busy summer touring schedule ahead taking in festivals at home and abroad including Primavera and The Great Escape, to mention but a few. One definite must see band.
The Night Cafe
Local lads, fresh from their own headline tour and touring as support for The Wombats, they are much in demand. They play Reading and Leeds festivals this summer, Live at Leeds and the Great Escape, Truck Festival. With a battery of tunes described as melodic, catchy, jangly indie pop, we recommend you check these guys out because they are going from strength to strength as their busy schedule testifies.
The Blinders
This trio originally from Doncaster, now based in Manchester, put in some impressive festival performances last year so we are expecting even greater things this year. Loud, in your face and raucous, they promise a blistering festival set. The world is starting to notice because they have just done a BBC 6Music Maida vale session with Steve Lamacq and have recently signed to Modern Sky Records.
Bang Bang Romeo
Sound City prides themselves on bringing more female musicians centre stage than your average festival. Lead singer Anastasia has captivated audiences far and wide over the past 12 months with her powerful, soaring vocal and have an impressive live CV which includes 2017 appearances at the Isle of Wight, Great Escape, TRNSMT and Reading festivals as well as playing as support to the Foo Fighters and The Killers. This year they are due to take main stage at Tramlines and second stage at Kendall Calling. Bang Bang Romeo has enjoyed airplay on BBC Radio 1 and Radio X and you can be assured they will make a huge impact at Liverpool.
Superorganism
Only formed last year, this synth and psychedelic eight-piece outfit have just released their self titled debut album. Little is known about them which make them even more appealing. What we do know is that they are purveyors of quirky, electronic indie pop tunes and they have a truly international background with members from the UK, South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Seven of the eight members live together in a house in London which doubles up as a recording studio. This is a band that truly, lives, eats and breathes music.
Picture This
Ryan Hennessy and Jimmy Rainsford, from County Kildare in Ireland, formed Picture This in 2015 and have enjoyed a phenomenal three years, releasing their debut self titled album last year, appearing on the Today programme in the US and touring the US and Canada. They have played the SSE Arena in Belfast and sold out two gigs at Dublin’s 3Arena. Masters at creating anthemic love songs; they have been likened to Snow Patrol and The Script.
The RPMS
Brighton-based band who have recently played SXSW and secured airplay on BBC Radio 1. Unashamedly classed as indie-pop, they are destined to win new fans at Sound City with their infectious hooks and dance along tunes. Their first EP, ‘Agents of Change’ was released in 2017. Last year they played Camden Rocks, Isle of Wight and Glastonbury festivals. They return to the Isle of Wight later this year, as part of their busy summer touring schedule.
Paris Youth Foundation
Liverpool’s Paris Youth Foundation was catapulted onto the BBC Introducing stage at the Reading Festival after their first song ‘If You Wanna’ was aired on BBC Introducing Merseyside. They have recently supported Blaenavon on tour and have already been out on the road in 2018 with their own headline shows. They will also be appearing at the Y Not Festival and Bushstock Festivals this summer. Powerful yet dreamy riffs with heartfelt lyrics, their music tells a story which will resonate with the audience.
Seatbelts
A brand new project from Hooton Tennis Club’s James Madden and Ryan Murphy who had their live debut earlier this year and have already secured airplay with their debut single ‘Hey, Hey Tiger!’, and now on to their second single, 'A World Drained Of Wonder'. Fasten your seatbelts and expect lots of electronic effects and psychedelic guitar. Look out for their forthcoming EP, ‘Songs for Vonnegut’ due out in May. Read our Sing & Tell interview with Ryan here.
This is just a small sample of the bands on offer and we are sure that you will find some gems of your own amongst the wealth of emerging bands at Sound City. Discovery of new talent continues to be the driving force of the festival.
For full line-up, information and tickets, visit the festival website
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