As Soundwave and Splendour have already proven, it’s never too early to start up a good old fashioned lineup rumour mill – especially when the whispering is coming from the festival itself.
Laneway Festival are known for dropping cheeky hints every year about who will feature on their next taste-making bill, and they tend to have a knack for coming true. HAIM, Japandroids, Jessie Ware, Daughter and XXYYXX are just some of the names that have appeared on a Laneway lineup after being mentioned on the festival’s official blog.
This time around the Laneway rumours are circulating around the festival’s most recent blog post about the acts they fancied at this year’s SXSW. Sharing it on Facebook, the festival urged fans to read their recap “and maybe get a 2015 line-up hint while you’re at it!”, which pricked our ears immediately.
Without further ado, let’s break it down.
Capturing Laneway’s attention included UK songstress Banks, English indie rockers Arthur Beatrice (who Laneway also blogged about last year), and left-of-centre multi-instrumentalist St. Vincent, whose self-titled album has been one of the most critically acclaimed releases of the year (ahead of her touring Australia this May). …the festival urged fans to read their recap “and maybe get a 2015 line-up hint while you’re at it!”
Oxford quartet Glass Animals earned rave reviews as well, and even though they’re in Australia right now for their debut Aussie tour, it wouldn’t be a surprise for the breakout band to make it two trips in 12 months.
The list featured plenty of rock revivalists including explosive noise-punk purists Perfect Pussy (whose fiery debut LP is released Down Under this month), South London outfit Fat White Family, post-punk Leeds band Eagulls and Japanese acid-punk four-piece Bo Ningen.
Meanwhile, English producers Tourist and SOHN are two blogosphere favourites that make perfect sense for Laneway, as are the critically-adored Forest Swords, The Range and Mutual Benefit, while Vic Mensa and Joey Fatts could easily fill Laneway’s yearly dosage of hip hop.
A few Australian acts caught the organisers’ eyes, too. Indie rock darlings The Preatures received a mention, and seeing as the Sydney band have recently been billed to appear at festival giants Coachella and Bonnaroo, it wouldn’t be a stretch to see them playing on home soil.
Meanwhile, Brisbane indie four-piece, the Great Escape-bound The Creases are exactly the kind of band Laneway like to book before they breakout (in fact, they kind of did, the band won the Triple J Unearthed comp to open this year’s edition).
The same goes for rising solo producer D.D Dumbo whose ethereal, looping sounds dazzled at Meredith back in December. Avant-garde provocateur Kirin J Callinan was on the list, too, though his appearance at Laneway this year makes him less likely of a contender.
You can read Laneway’s full SXSW breakdown over at their website, which we’ll be watching like a hawk for any future leaks, hints, and tip-offs.
Laneway SXSW highlights:
Arthur Beatrice
Banks
DD Dumbo
Eagulls
Fat White Family
Forest Swords
Glass Animals
Highasakite
Joey Fatts
Kirin J Callinan
Mutual Benefit
Perfect Pussy
Sohn
The Creases
The Range
Tourist
The Preatures
St. Vincent
Vic Mensa
