Festival season is upon us and it’s the best time to catch those up and coming acts who may be occupying a main stage in years to come. We’ve picked out who we are most excited for over the summer months!
The Costellos
Local rock ‘n’ rollers The Costellos promised that they’d be moving on to bigger and better
things this year, beyond the usual local gigs at The Joiners and Lennons. Well the booking team at Common People and Isle of Wight Festival have helped to deliver that promise. Expect upbeat, catchy, feel good tracks, similar to that you’d hear from the likes of Paul Weller and Noel Gallagher, combined with funky and perhaps questionable haircuts.
Young Kato
Young Kato recently released their debut album Don’t Wait ‘Til Tomorrow and have just finished up their biggest UK Tour to date. They’ve grabbed a spot on the lineups at Ibiza Rocks and Kendal Calling, as well as headline spots at smaller, local festivals such as 110 Above Festival. They are sure to go down a storm, with anthemic tracks like ‘Drink, Dance, Play’ guaranteed to get a festival crowd going.
Shamir
“Yes, yes I’m the best, fuck what you heard, anything less is obviously absurd” – one modest line in the first verse of Las Vegas-born Shamir’s track ‘On The Regular’. The 20-year old funk, techno and hip-hop star was signed to XL Recordings last year, joining the likes of Adele, The Prodigy and Vampire Weekend, and created a bit of a buzz with his debut EP Northtown. He’ll be playing some of Europe’s largest festivals, including Øya Festival in Norway and Flow Festival in Finland.
Words by Will Hodgetts
Soak
At only 18 years old Soak has already been compared to the likes of Laura Marling and Cat Power. Her hauntingly beautiful vocals tell stories of family, friends and adolescence and
have clearly captured the attention of many. In 2014 she became the first signing to CHVRCHES’ singles label, releasing the beautiful ‘Blud’ and touring with the likes of George Ezra and Tegan & Sara. That same year, SOAK penned an album deal with Rough Trade Records and aired the beautiful ‘B a noBody’. The year to come looks bright for SOAK, and she’s definitely one to catch before she’s playing a main stage.
LA Preist
LA Preist is a project from electronic musician Sam Dust, previously of Late of the Pier. Dust channels Prince and Aphex twin collectively to create a funky love affair that’s inspiring dance moves all over the nation. The return single ‘Onio’ is a perfect uplifter that embodies a disruptive pop spirit with a catchy hook that you just can’t shake.
Palace
Palace embody a rich and sultry sound that feels like the sun beating down on the back of your neck mid-July. Their music flows impressively well to create an ethereal and rich 
sound perfect for the festival vibe. Although the foursome only embarked together musically in 2012, they have quickly produced a beautiful set of demo tracks that have received much critical acclaim. They have a Jeff Buckley feel to them which is unmissable this festival season.
Words by Sian Blewitt
