Festival Picks.

Muddy wellies on, hair dripping with rain and a (blantanly overpriced) pint in hand. Its that time of year again, folks- and guess who couldn't be happier?! With legends like The Stone Roses, The Who and Red Hot Chili Peppers featuring on lineups its an exciting time to be a festival goer/a breathing human being.
However, its not just the big names in bold that deserve attention. I can guarantee that 60% of the best bands you'll see this summer are ones you've (unfortunately) probably not even given enough love to yet.
With Catfish and The Bottlemen gracing Reading's Introducing stage only 3 years ago, nows the time to whack on those fake Raybans and discover your new favourite.
 
THE CROOKES
where can you find them? Tramlines, Testifest & Kendal Calling
Sheffield favourites THE CROOKES are shooting across the country this summer, just for us. Their poetic lyrics dance around their upbeat guitars and melodic vocals and they'll have you dancing too. After seeing them play venues that can't hold them, I cannot wait to see the lads play their latest album 'The Lucky Ones' out in the open this summer.
TOP PICKS: The World is Waiting, I Wanna Waste My Time on You, Afterglow...

LIBERTY SHIP
where can you find them? Live in Barnsley, Tramlines, Kendal Calling & Blackthorn
With their immensely well-received debut single, 'Learning to Fly', turning heads and a number of sold out shows under their belt, these lads are really kicking up a fuss. Why? The Sheffield four have the ability to captivate almost any audience with their energetic sets, funky basslines and exemplary chemistry. Holding harmonies that rival The Stone Roses and lyrics Dylan would be proud of, its time to fill up your hipflask and get yourself out of your tent to see them this summer.
TOP PICKS: Don't Wish, Learning to Fly, What Point...

APRIL
where can you find them? Godiva Festival & more TBC
One of my favourite discoveries this year has been APRIL.
These lads from Nuneaton cannot be ignored. They're creating music that memories will be made to and I'm not sure you'll have a much fonder memory this summer than belting out their tune, Ten Miles High, with your best mates in the (hopefully) beaming sun.

The JACQUES
where can you find them? Kendal CallingIncredibly charming and talented, these Bristol boys have got my whole-hearted attention. They're giving us energy that channels Sonic Youth and addictive riffs that you want to sing even louder than the endearing lyrics. Moody, yet refreshing, be sure to check THE JACQUES out.
TOP PICKS: Eleanor Ring Me, Pretty DJ, The Artful Dodger...

THE BIG MOON
where can you find them? Truck Festival, Bushstock, Latitude, Kendal Calling & more
They've supported favourites PEACE and YAK, they're cool as fuck, their latest single Cupid oozes magic and I think its about they get the attention they deserve. Not only have they mastered the perfect crescendo (which coaxes even the most solemn toe tappers into having a proper boogie)the chemistry these four ladies have is absolutely unreal. You get the impression that they definitely know something that we don't and I'm excited to find out what that is this summer. Check em out!
TOP PICKS: Cupid, The Road, Sucker...

MARIKA HACKMAN
where can you find her? Tramlines & more TBC
Unbelievably dreamy and undeniably angelic, Dirty Hit's Marika Hackman has recently released her debut album, We Sleep At Last, which speaks for itself. I'm personally dying to hear the album (that feels like you're being tucked up in bed whilst Oscar Wilde tells you a bedtime story) live; absolutely perfect for the hazy summer. Get yourself down to see Marika and feel what its like to let yourself be drowned in honey.
TOP PICKS: Animal Fear, Itchy Teeth, Drown...

MILBURN
where can you find them? Y Not, Kendal Calling & more TBC
'But Eleanor everyone knows about Milburn', YES,  just hear me out...
These well established legends took their 8 year break and have resurrected just in time to be the best act you'll see this summer. With tunes that have inspired the likes of Arctic Monkeys (despite the bollocks NME is spouting in an attempt to crawl even further up Alex Turner's backside, yeah, I didn't know it was possible either) and lyrics I've seen grown men scream, you cannot go wrong with Milburn. Honestly.
Why are they on this list? Because its more or less sacrilege to miss them, so I'm reminding you that its just not an option for those of you who didn't realise.
TOP PICKS: Roll Out the Barrel, 17, Storm in a Teacup


SUNDARA KARMAwhere can you find them? Secret Garden Party, Tramlines, Y Not & more.
If you could capture 'that summer feeling' and sell it, it would go by the name Sundara Karma. (Particularly Indigo Puff, which encaptures that 'walking-home-from-a-party-at-5am-watching-the-sun-come-up-with-your-friends' feeling that you can never quiet put your finger on.)
Without even realising it you probably know atleast 3 of their tunes! Their riffs are bright and electric, Sundara Karma will have crowds dancing under the sky and you should defiantly be in the middle of that crowd. 
TOP PICKS: Flame, Indigo Puff, Loveblood

It's only a few days after Tramlines Festival and the city and its inhabitants are still recovering. Bottles and flyers litter the streets, everyone seems to still be hungover but Liberty Ship are already back in the practice room after playing the main stage on Sunday.

*Credit to Glenn Ashley*

Liberty Ship are Sheffield's very own indie four-piece, including Lewis Hancock (lead vocals and acoustic guitar), Jack Eddison (lead guitar) , James Brown (bass) and  Kierran Bond (drums). They were still doing their GCSEs when they played their debut gig and  the lads have been no strangers to the music scene since. Before they could even drink at their own shows, they'd toured with a number of established legends, King Charles and Reverend and The Makers, as well as supporting Coventry's The Enemy, whilst still playing a number of their own headline gigs. Eight years on and they're now releasing music that demands attention.

With a lot of hard work these lads seemed to have found a way to break away from the typical mainstream 'indie' sound and make a strong impact. 'We've grown up and our sound has grown up a bit too', lead guitarist Jack explains. It's easy to get drowned in the Soundcloud generation of musicians where anyone can upload music at the click of a button, but Liberty Ship seem to have their heads safely above the water. So now, leaving their teenage years behind, they're breaking the mold and placing their stamp on the music scene. 

Even during their rainy Tramlines set there was a certain exemplary warmth in the crowd. Their mix of songs gathers a diverse audience, with crowd pleasures such as, 'Neon Light' and the band's favourite 'Fire Your Love', matched with slower love songs, 'For You'. 'We've got quite a large audience', says Kierran. Which is true, standing in the crowd you could see an array of different people, from students to bearded men in flat caps and I 'm pretty sure a Tinder first date were dancing next to me. 

What's noticeably admirable about Liberty Ship is their attitude towards music, and not just their own either. After spending some time with them you quickly  get a sense of how laid back they are, but it's matched with a passion which is clearly exhibited in their live performances. They'll try their hand at anything if it means promoting their music and having fun, such as playing an acoustic set on the tram during the Tramlines weekend. Alike other 'new generation bands' they seem to realise that platinum records aren't handed out on silver platters, but unlike the majority they're more than willing to work hard to produce quality music which demands recognition and that they love themselves.  'We'll definitely get a collection of songs we're happy enough with to put together for an album in the distant future' Brown claims. 

If you want to create your own sound in Sheffield then you first have to find a way to break free from the shackles of being compared to the Arctic Monkeys, as Liberty Ship found out. 'It's literally only cause we're from Sheffield and we play our own instruments!', they laugh when being asked about this bold yet common comparison. Whilst they claim that the Arctic Monkeys aren't a huge influence to  their own unique sound, they're  quick to show respect for the High Green A-Listers. 'When we first started playing as a band, at places like The Boardwalk, there was a load of Sheffield bands knocking about such as the Arctic Monkeys and Milburn. That was definitely inspiring cause it made it clear that you can do it when they're making it', Jack explains.
'Our sound isn't really like anyone else', bassist James says. 'We get asked to compare ourselves to other bands a lot, but that's not reyt something we can do', Jack adds. You would certainly file 'the Liberty Ship sound'  as indie, but they're quite right when they claim their sound is somewhat undefinable. It combines an established sound of old school rock mixed intensely with the wild exuberance of being a teenager in today's society. 

It’s not just a particularly dedicated portion of Yorkshire that’s coming round to the quartet’s charms either. Liberty Ship have been showing up on the radars of those across the nation, playing festivals in Wales and even being asked to play private parties by eager moon-eyed fans. 'It's all just a lot of fun', the band tell me.  As passionate as the band seem to be, you can't deny they're having a lot of fun. In between writing songs and (probably not) revising in school the band gathered some rock n roll stories. 'There was a story involving a table and a window', Jack laughs, going on the explain how the band decided to throw a table and an ironing board out of a window after playing The Leadmill in their teens. 'We went round with a bunch of flowers to say sorry though', Lewis quickly reassures us. 

You can expect to see a lot more from Liberty Ship in the following months, not only are they darting across the nation to play festivals, they're headlining their own gig at The Leadmill in Sheffield. The very same venue which has played a host to Arctic Monkeys and Pulp  is welcoming Liberty Ship back after two years, this October. Get yourself a ticket online and for a fiver you can become part of their inevitably promising story.

*Credit to Colin Wright*

This year I made a great sacrifice. Instead of waking up on Easter Sunday and forcing my body into a chocolate-based coma, I decided to spend my Easter funds on experiencing what Britain's Best had to offer.
Two favourites meet the new kid on the block.

Catfish and The Bottlemen (Little Comets) - O2 Academy, SheffieldHere we go again!
Festivals aside, this is by far the biggest venue I've ever seen Catfish and The Bottlemen fill.
Classically, the band opened with Rango and closed with beloved Tyrants and packed the rest of the setlist with The Balcony hits. One thing you can always expect from a Catfish and The Bottlemen gig is energy and diversity- mums, dads, teenagers, awkward first Tindr dates (just to the left of me) and grandads all dancing together and shouting back the lyrics to belters like 'Kathleen'

As always, the band were flawless with their performance. A particularly significant moment was Van's performance of the acoustic track, Hourglass, from their debut album- which was like caramel to the ears. Somehow the audience all seemed to harmonise and it created an unforgettable atmosphere that isn't easily forgotten or created.

Circa Waves (Genghar, Ratboy) - Leadmill, Sheffield
The chances are that if you haven't heard of Circa Waves then you've still definitely heard them. There is pretty much no escape. These four young uns from Liverpool are flooding  our stereos and will certainly be part of your summer soundtrack!
I'd been impressed by Circa Waves upon seeing them perform as support to The 1975 in September, but here I was only months later in the audience to one of their own sold-out shows. Hats off to them! What the setlist maybe lacked slightly in variety was completely made up for with enthusiasm! Their hits, 'T-Shirt Weather' and 'Fossils', particularly had the crowd moulded into a ball of energy. I noticed that these lads may be the 'newbies' but he dynamics of the group itself works perfectly! There didn't seem to be a member that was lacking in confidence or talented! That was impressive to witness...Their support act 'Ratboy', aka Jordan Cardy seemed to kick up a fuss too! Expect big things from this lad!

The Wombats (Darlia) - Leadmill, Sheffield
This is a band that I, personally, had been so excited about seeing live that before even entering the venue I think I'd used all my energy on bouncing about on the bus into town. Now, taking off my fourteen year old fangirl hat and slipping into my objective boots, did I truly think that The Wombats performed well?
Yes. They provided an absolutely explosive set.
The setlist weaved between quirky classics, 'Techno Fan' and '1996', and their ardour filled Glitterbug tracks, 'Give Me a Try' and their latest hit, 'Greek Tragedy'. All in all, this was probably one of the best gigs I've ever attended and definitely my favourite Leadmill gig.
I only hope that I have the privilege of seeing them again!

I'm a firm believer that you should never judge a book by its cover, however any judgement you pass upon setting eyes on the enigmatic front man of King Charles is probably pretty accurate in framing his music. 

Packed inside Sheffield's Plug King Charles' support act, Sasha Siem, warmed up the crowd with haunting folk-esque vocals. Funnily enough, red stripe in hand, I watched this lovely lady perform inches away from Charles himself (although he was somewhat less easy to recognize without his bouffant hair and I'm not sure why he was choosing not to wear shoes on Plug's sticky dancefloor...)

The band themselves kicked off their set with the effortlessly gorgeous, Carry Me Away. Odd choice for an opening song? Arguably. As the first chords were played I was surprised with such a slow tune to kick off the band's set. Hey ho though, the song itself was perfectly executed, it's always a bonus when you can't here the 20 Marlboro and the litre of rum in a musicians voice at a gig in the middle of their tour.
The band carried out a high-level performance, flitting between new poetic love songs and high-tempo LoveBlood classics. King Charles' accent seemed to compliment lyrics such as; 'with a guitar in my hands or a gun in my hand, I would give it all up for your hand in my hand' or 'the brightest lights cast the darkest shadows'.
I was particularly fond of Loose Change for The Boatman and the live performance of Bam Bam had so much energy. 
Well played, KC.

All in all, the gig was £12 well spent- plus, happily to meet fans after his set and shouting out to his previous support acts, King Charles actually seemed like a really sound guy. Aw. 


(apologies for the lack of original footage, my camera died at 30%, cheers Apple)

Much like fur coats and turtlenecks, you either love them or your kidding yourself...it's PEACE. 

The band, made up of the lovely Koisser brothers, Dom Boyce and Mr Douglas Castle, released their debut album 'In Love' in 2013 and to the delight of long haired, Doc-Marten-wearing indie lovers everywhere, their new album 'Happy People' is released on the 9th of February 2015!

It's worth taking note that Peace have really captured the essence of creating your own sound and running with it, mixing funky beats with synthy tones this band oozes summer and makes you feel utterly in love with tracks; such as, Lost on Me, Float Forever and Wraith. Not only this they're known for conveying political messages in many of their songs. You can easily find pro-peace (funnily enough), anti-capitalist and feminist tones in their music- which is completely refreshing and simultaneously stimulating. Who doesn't love that?

Whilst the band have received a lot of publicity recently and are the midst of a UK tour right now (which I somehow managed to get tickets for!!) the sheer number of people who do not know about these guys shocks me! So spread the word and give them a listen:

1. Lost on Me ☮

2. Fur ☮

3. Follow Baby ☮

4. California Daze ☮

5. World Pleasure ☮

6. Wraith ☮

7. Flirtin' USA ☮

8. 1998 ☮

PEACE'S SECOND ALBUM 'HAPPY PEOPLE' IS AVAILABLE HERE!