Bored Marsh, Wylderness, Spiritualized, Eyre Llew
festival Preview: Focus Wales 2024,
03 May 2024
Web Exclusive
Next week, Under the Radar makes its annual pilgrimage to Wrexham for the 2024 edition Welsh focus. Now in its 14th year, the 2024 edition will feature over 250 artists from around the world performing on 22 stages and will run from Wednesday 8 to Saturday 11 May. Taking place in Wrexham, North Wales, Focus Wales has established itself as one of the leading showcase festivals in Europe, while also hosting a full program of industry talks and panels, conferences, art events and fiim screenings, as well as a packed music schedule. .
As with previous years, Under the Radar is among the media partners and will be featuring two artists we're really excited about. Cardiff five-piece Wylderness play for us at Hope Street Church on Friday evening, while Nottingham post-punk quartet Bored Marsh open The Parish stage on Saturday evening. Read more about our two options below.
Bored Marsh
(Saturday 11u May @ The Parish 405 pm)
Hailing from Nottingham, Bored Marsh take their name from a clever pun on one of the city's former shopping centres, while their logo uses similar graphics to those featured on Nottingham's most famous record store, Selectadisc. Musically they have been compared to the likes of The National, Interpol, Slow Readers Club and The Chameleons, steadily building a devoted following in their homeland thanks to some memorable live shows in recent months. Having already released two singles (“The Grind” and “A Better Way (Don't Stop)”), their new EP titled Fool is due out later this summer and will be preceded by another single next month.
Wilderness
(Friday 10u May @ Hope Street Church 605 pm)
Cardiff's Wylderness have been on the radar for a while, ever since their self-titled debut album was unsuspectingly released five years ago. Comparisons to Ride, Diiv and Beach Fossils have seen their lo-fi shoegaze sound championed by everyone from Welsh radio legend Huw Stephens to legendary indie imprint Sonic Cathedral, while their long-awaited sophomore album 2022 Big plans for a blue world further established them as one of the most exciting bands to emerge from the UK underground in recent years. A new EP Safety function due soon, so expect to hear a strong mix of old and new material next weekend.
In the meantime, here are 10 other artists we're excited to see at Focus Wales next week.
Annie Dressner
(Thursday 9u May @ St Giles Church, 720pm)
Born and bred in New York, but now based in the UK city of Cambridge, Annie Dressner has been making music that straddles the line between introspective folk and melodic indie rock for the better part of two decades. Her new album I Thought It Would Be Easier was released earlier this year and is arguably her strongest collection of songs to date, and her early evening at St Giles Church on Thursday will almost certainly be one of the highlights of the festival.
Benefits
(Saturday 11u May @ Penny Black Room One 1040pm
Hailing from the North East of England, Benefits are the brainchild of Kingsley Hall. Their visceral soundscapes combined with Hall's disturbing monologues portray an England far removed from what the right-wing media and their subservient commentators are trying to tell you. Tracks such as 'Flag', 'Empire' and 'Shit Britain' have gradually become national anthems for the disaffected, while their live performance is a must-see event that will live long in the memory. Ignore at your peril.
Bethan Lloyd
(Wednesday 8u May @ The Parish 1025pm)
Hailing from the valleys of Wales, Bethan Lloyd is one of the most unique and original artists hitting the boards right now. Her experimental takes on traditional folk, psychedelic drone and electronic music (to name but three) set Bethan apart from many of her peers and contemporaries. Last year's Metamorphosis was one of the best acts of 2023 compared to the likes of Bjork and The Knife, while her recent live shows have seen her combine acapella numbers with haunting drone backdrops, so expect the unexpected but also prepare to get excited.
Eye
(Friday 10u May @ Ty Pawb Performance Space 830pm
Essentially the new project from ex-Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard singer Jessica Ball, Eye is an amalgamation of styles and ideas. Musically it veers between panoramic dream pop (think Mazzy Star or Slowdive) and electronic chillwave (Portishead meets Fever Ray). Their debut album Dark light released last month and is already receiving rave reviews. We expect Eye's live show to have a similar impact.
Eyre Llew
(Saturday 11u May @ Penny Black Room One 630pm)
Eyre Llew from Nottingham will be making their third appearance at Focus Wales this year, and first as a new five-piece. They are currently mixing and mastering their untitled second album and the highly anticipated follow-up to 2017's critically acclaimed debut Atelo. Eyre Llew recently returned to the live arena with a sold out show in her hometown and followed it up three weeks later with an equally busy set at Rough Trade for Record Store Day. Musically they have been compared to Bon Iver, Sigur Ros and Explosions In The Sky among others over the years, which gives you an idea of the sky-high nature of their sonic warfare.
Midnight Rodeo
(Saturday 11u May @ Hope Street Church, 730pm.
Yet another band hailing from the vibrant city of Nottingham today. Midnight Rodeo combine dreamy psychedelia with frantic art pop passages making them one of the most interesting UK psych rock acts on the circuit. Signed to Brighton indie label Fat Cat Records, Midnight Rodeo have already released a handful of critically acclaimed singles and are in the process of recording their highly anticipated debut album due early next year.
Padslov
(Thursday 9u May @ Wynnstay Hotel 540 pm & The Rockin' Chair Room One 915 p.m.
(Saturday 11u May @ The Parish 650pm)
This Brooklyn-based quintet fuses nascent shoegaze with warped lo-fi, and they're already being touted as one of the most exciting new bands on the planet. The band's debut album Channels was released earlier this year on one of our favorite indie labels Kanine Records and we expect it to be one of the must-see songs at this year's Focus Wales. Plus, with three separate shows on their schedule, there really is no excuse to miss them!
(Friday 10u May @ The Rockin' Chair Room One 915pm
Hailing from Seoul, South Korea, Sailor Honeymoon are an exciting trio whose music spans many genres ranging from avant garde disco punk to riot girl infused noise rock. Their self-titled debut EP/mini-album was released this week and features eight songs, including recent singles 'Bad Apple', 'PMS' and 'F**k Urself'. We think they're going to be one of the most talked about bands this year, so come and see what the fuss is about when they take to the stage in Wrexham next Friday!
Spiritualized
(Saturday 11u May @ Llwyn Isaf 830pm)
Spiritualized require very little introduction other than to say that they are one of the most innovative and consistent bands of the last three decades. Formed in 1990 following the breakup of founding member Jason Pierce's previous band Spacemen 3, they've gone on to record a slew of critically acclaimed records in various lineup changes (Pierce being the only constant), while continuing to make amazing new releases. music along the way.
Vanity Fairy
(Saturday 11u May @ The Rockin' Chair Room Two, 1115pm)
Recently signed to Moshi Moshi, Vanity Fairy is one of the most exciting new pop acts to emerge in the last couple of years, having supported acts as diverse as Warmduscher, Acid Klaus and Audiobooks in a similar timeframe. Musically, there are comparisons to Kate Bush, Donna Summer, Confidence Man and even Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, thanks to her distinctive falsetto vocals, while also sounding unique. Debut EP Love From Above catapulted Vanity Fairy into the hearts and minds of those drawn to her wares and we expect a similar response to her live performance next weekend.
For more information on this year's Focus Wales, including the full program and running orders, visit them official webpage.
from our partners at http://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/festival_preview_focus_wales_2024