The UK’s biggest metropolitan festival – the award winning Sound City – has today announced more than 50 additional acts including Eliza and the Bear, White and a host of emerging talent.
Headlining the SESAC showcase on Sunday, indie rockers Eliza and the Bear promise a euphoric indie folk finale. Currently touring their eponymous new album, their track ‘Friends’ also featured on the latest Bulmers TV advert. They are joined on Sunday by Glaswegian new-wave art popsters White, electro-clash starlet Elle Exxe, The Wholls and Violet Skies.
Across the rest of the stunning Sound City site more than 50 new acts have also been revealed including Liverpool’s Feral Love in a collaborative piece with Canadians Wake Island that will see them also perform at POP Montreal in September.
Additional acts for the Cargo Stage include Coquin Migale, Jesse Will, Tempesst and Brooders, The Cavern Stage has added Queen City Stoopkids, Surf Dads, The Zolas and Living Hour while MailChimp Record Store presented by Dig Vinyl has unveiledLifafa, Slow Dancer, Cherie & Renno and many, many more.
Elsewhere on site globally renowned festival imagineers Visual Architects are bringing their magic to proceedings by dressing the Main Stage sponsored by Jack Rocks, In Conversation Stage, Tim Peaks Diner and various pop-up gems across the impressive dockside location.
Said Laura Loughridge, of Visual Architects: “As Sound City is far, far away from any kind of festival field, we were challenged with creating a design to work with the industrial, rustic site while contrasting our pieces with the modern city backdrop of Liverpool. We have designed and created a number of pieces to add a splash of colour while still utilising the urban style of the site, with a curious mix of materials from steel to bright fabrics – we can’t wait to see it all come together!”
With four weeks to go until the festival kicks off, Sound City has also launched its brand new digital app for 2016 sponsored by Deezer. The app, created by developers SecondScreen, will allow festivalgoers to schedule their own programme, share content and get access to exclusive material from the conference and festival. The Sound City app can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play Store for free.
Higher education has always played an important role at Sound City. This year Leeds College of Music and University of Westminster are presenting showcases and for the fourth year running Edge Hill University is a key partner. Building on the success of Hooton Tennis Club being discovered by Jeff Barrett of Heavenly Recordings, Edge Hill University’s The Label Recordings will host two showcases on The Cavern Stage, with Shrinking Minds, Youth Hostel, Cavalry and much more.
Said Sound City CEO Dave Pichilingi: “ We are tremendously excited about this year’s festival. We worked incredibly hard on the site to transform it into a truly jaw-dropping setting and the line-up has to be the best we’ve ever booked with all our headline acts at the top of their games – Catfish and the Bottlemen are smashing it with upcoming album, The Ride, The Coral are getting rave reviews for Distance Inbetween and have a new single out the day before Sound City starts and Band of Skulls release By Default the day before they play our main stage. It doesn’t get more current than that.
“We also have an amazing electronic line-up this year too through our partnership with Freeze. Imagine Leftfield, 2manydjs and Hot Chip DJing in the Baltic Warehouse. It’s going to be massive!
“We’ve still got some surprises up our sleeves with a full arts and culture programme and our much anticipated commissions to be announced in the coming weeks. It’s going to be a stunning weekend with over 200 artists performing across 9 stages from 12pm till 12am each day!”
Sound City takes place on 28 & 29 May 2016 at the Liverpool Waters, Bramley-Moore Dock, an historic waterfront location and one of the most unique festival sites in the world.
Limited tickets, travel information and accommodation for Sound City 2016 are available at: www.liverpoolsoundcity.co.uk