Sound City 2018

In an era of expensive, industry-led hyperbole, it’s rare enough to stumble upon an independent group content to graft out of the spotlight, let alone one who then achieve organic, word-of-mouth success. But then Idles aren’t really like many other bands. The five-piece went from being Bristol’s best kept secret to punk’s breakout stars with 2017’s hugely-acclaimed debut, and are now renowned as one of the most incendiary live bands in the country. Don’t miss them at Sound City; they might be sharing material from the follow-up to Brutalism.

If you haven’t encountered the weird and wonderful world of Superorganism by now, where have you been hiding? Since sending the blogs raving with 2017’s single ‘Something For Your M.I.N.D.’, the eight member-strong global collective have relocated to London and released a self-titled debut that Pitchfork hailed as “hugely accomplished.” Musically, imagine The Avalanches, Of Montreal and Odelay-era Beck getting together to compose Nickelodeon themes. Live, expect an audio-visual extravaganza featuring animation, choreography and psychedelic lighting.

As anyone who saw Adele play a Brighton cafe in 2007 will happily tell you, the beauty of festivals like Sound City and The Great Escape is catching the industry’s next big star in an intimate venue. If you want similar bragging rights in the future, you should probably catch Grace Carter while she’s in Liverpool. Represented by the same team who handle Lana Del Rey and Dua Lipa, the Brighton-born singer-songwriter has had her intimate torch songs and soulful vocals compared to the stars like India.Arie and, yes, Adele. Check out 2017’s stellar, gospel-tinged single ‘Silence’ first.