Laneway Festival Must See Acts

Tomorrow starts the first leg of this year’s Laneway Festival, it’s time to get your shit together and organise your festival timetable with as few (although inevitable) clashes as possible. Pull out the highlighter and take some notes on this year’s must see acts…

M83

Bringing smooth 80’s sax into the lives of indie kids everywhere, French electro/ dream-pop act M83 hit our shores this month taking on a handful of sideshows as well as their Laneway headline slots. Promoting the newly released epic 22-track LP Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, which has been touted by many in the biz as a serious contender for Album of The Year, don’t miss these guys for an electrifying, shimmering performance.

SBTRKT

After sold-out shows on his debut Australian DJ tour, South London producer SBTRKT is back. Winning over dubstep haters everywhere with his cross-genre dense beats and impressive list of guest vocalists including Roses Gabor, Jessie Ware, Yukimi Nagano (Little Dragon) and Sampha who will be accompanying him at the festival. If glow-in-the-dark tribal masks are your kind of thing, this is the gig for you.

TORO Y MOI

Everyone loves an over-achiever in the prime of their life and this year’s award goes to Chaz Bundick a.k.a. TORO Y MOI. Bringing his unique blend of chillwave to festival goers this summer, the multi-talented musician, graphic designer and photographer’s establishing album Underneath the Pine is an ambitious mix of psychedelic, funk and experimental pop. Hitting the touring circuit with buddy and regular co-headliner Washed Out, catch TORO Y MOI for infectiously soothing, reverb-fuelled good times.

THE HORRORS

East London post-punk darlings THE HORRORS return to our shores after a two year gap. They’ve come a long way since their skinny jean satirical cameo as The Black Tubes on cult series The Mighty Boosh. Having graced the cover of NME off the back of their first single alone, THE HORRORS have proven that they are well worth the hype. Out here on the back of their recent album Skying, these guys are expected to rock the shit out of this year’s festival. With a live show that been likened to a riot, expect a dramatic, electric and polarising set that will blow your collective minds.

Catch THE HORRORS DJ SET at CANT SAY next Friday 3 February.

THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART

It’s impossible to dislike the sweet indie-pop sounds of New York band THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART (unless of course you are dead inside). Colourful melodic washes, jangly guitars and sweet vocals make them the perfect addition to this year’s Laneway Festival. Their latest album Belong was recorded with two of the most recognised producers in the world – Flood (Depeche Mode, PJ Harvey, Smashing Pumpkins) and Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Jesus and Mary Chain) – yet they still manage to sound confidently vulnerable and carelessly thoughtful. With a name derived from an unpublished children’s story book, it’s easy to see the appeal of such a collective. Add some hazy sun-soaked pop into your summer festival experience.

For the full line-up see HERE.

For set-times see HERE.

Words by Chloe Cooper.