The Splendour In The Grass 2014 lineup rumour mill went into high gear last week with a batch of artists playing Japan’s Fuji Rock and Sky Ferreira added to the Aussie festival’s likely 2014 contenders.
Now another band has accidentally let slip that they’re more than likely to be making their way to Byron Bay this June to appear at the biggest event on the winter music festival calendar.
London electronic mavericks Metronomy are about to drop their fourth full-length record, Love Letters, and their frontman Joseph Mount has all but confirmed Splendour on the touring itinerary for the new album.
In an interview with Purple Sneakers, Mount was caught slightly off-guard when asked about a festival-sized gap in their touring schedule, replying: “I’m not sure where I’m at… When do they announce that festival?”
When the Metronomy frontman was told that the Splendour In The Grass 2014 lineup would likely be announced in April, he added: “I think we’re planning on coming to Australia in your Winter but I’m not sure where that falls with these things but we’re excited to come and visit and we’ll be seeing you in maybe… I don’t know, maybe June? July? That kind of time.” “I think we’re planning on coming to Australia in your Winter… we’ll be seeing you in maybe… I don’t know, maybe June? July?’
Metronomy were last Down Under in 2011, off the back of their Mercury-nominated album, The English Reviera, playing headline sideshows and the Falls Festival.
Speaking of the New Year’s event, the leak follows closely after an announcement that Falls Festival and Splendour In The Grass will be co-hosting an showcase at next week’s SXSW 2014, which further provides some extra lineup clues for Splendour’s forthcoming edition.
The Austin, Texas showcase lineup will see Melbourne songstress Gossling and Brisbane punks Dune Rats playing on a bill of buzz-worthy international talent. Namely, New York indie rock band Skaters, plus US bands Basecamp, De Lux, Drowners and Tor Miller; alongside British acts such as North London alt-rock quartet Wolf Alice, Jetta, and BBC Sound of 2014 picks: “steak and kidney pop” star Chlöe Howl and hard rock twosome Royal Blood. Full details at bottom.
Falls & Splendour’s SXSW gig is presented by festival organisers Secret Sounds, who are also touring two more acts that are in the Splendour In the Grass 2014 rumour mill: singer/model/actress Sky Ferreira (making a one-off Aussie debut later this month) and European songsmith Mikhael Paskalev, touring this month in support of his debut album.
Others strongly expected to appear on the Splendour Bill are atmospheric Irishman James Vincent McMorrow and UK trio London Grammar, who are also on the recently announced Fuji Rock 2014 lineup, which regularly shares acts with Splendour’s bill.
Other acts announced for the Japanese music festival that could be jetting to Byron include Basement Jaxx, Manic Street Preachers, Franz Ferdinand (whose eponymous debut LP recently turned 10 years old), Bombay Bicycle Club, Darkside, SBTRKT, Parquet Courts, The Strypes, The Waterboys, BBC Sound Of 2014 pick Jungle, plus Bloody Beetroots, and Australia’s own John Butler Trio.
The biggest Splendour rumour doing the rounds is that Outkast could headline, following the hip hop duo of Big Boi and André 3000 reuniting to appear as a “marquee act at over 40 festivals around the world” in a global comeback tour. Outkast are already locked in for US festivals Coachella and Firefly Music Festival (which both feature a bunch of Aussie bands coincidentally).
View the music video for Metronomy’s ‘Love Letters’ (directed by Michel Gondry!) below, and read the album review of Love Letters here.
Read our three-day report on Splendour In The Grass 2013 here and our Festival Guide to Fuji Rock Festival here.
Splendour In The Grass & Falls Festival SXSW 2014 Showcase
Wednesday 12th March – Holy Mountain @ Austin, Texas
Free entry, 12:00midday – 5:00pm. SXSW 2014
Lineup:
Skaters
Chlöe Howl
Royal Blood
Wolf Alice
Basecamp
Gossling
De Lux
Dune Rats
Drowners
Lowell
Jetta
Tor Miller
Splendour In The Grass 2014
Friday 25, Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 July
North Byron Parklands, Byron Bay
http://splendourinthegrass.com/
