PUBLISHED December 13th, 2016 06:00 am
Ever since Singapore got a taste of the Laneway Festival in 2010, we’ve been pretty hooked, selling out festival after festival for the past six years. The size of the event has been expanding, as with the increasing number of festival goers, bringing in leading new and revered seminal music acts that offer a live experience like no other. Next year’s line-up is no different – see our list of 11 Laneway 2017 acts you’ve probably never heard of, but should totally aatch in action!
Sam Rui
SINGAPORE
R&B is alive and kicking in Singapore, a fact attested to by fresh face Sam Rui. Graduating from singing folk and indie-pop covers on YouTube, she now writes her own groovy songs – packing in a whole lot of punch, sassy sensualness, and good vibes in her signature powerful vocals. Listen to Sam Rui’s Better.
Wednesday Campellena
JAPAN
Buried somewhere in Japan’s idol sphere and hardcore J-rock beats lies Wednesday Campanella in an erratic coexistence. Rocketing to popularity in just four years, the trio of KOM_I, Hidefumi Kenmochi, and Dir.F presents an enigmatic cocktail of house techno and chill out music about vampires, guided bus tours, and Hokkaido cuisine. Listen to Wednesday Campanella’s Shakushain.
Sampa The Great
AUSTRALIA
Born in Zambia, raised in Botswana and now based in Melbourne, this hip-hop artist first got people talking with her brilliant debut release The Great Mixtape, weaving lush lyrical mazes and drawing viewers into her imaginative world. Sampa The Great‘s music ranges everything from spoken-word to pure rapping, with stops at psychedelic and bluesy points in between. Listen to Sampa The Great’s F E M A L E.
Mr. Carmack
UNITED STATES
Occupying a frontier between a range of genres, LA-based Mr. Carmack makes tasty dance and hip-hop beats the bedrock of his music. He’s solidly devoted to the studio and has a grinding work ethic, dropping an epic 54 new tracks on his SoundCloud only two months after releasing his 2016 Yellow EP. His motto? Make music like no one’s listening. Listen to Mr. Carmack’s Pay (For What).
Nick Murphy
AUSTRALIA
Remember Chet Faker? He’s now forgone his alias to reclaim his real name. Nick Murphy is set to perform a dynamic new show, pulling tracks from his existing catalogue and showcasing new electro-dance material, including his hot favourite Talk Is Cheap. Expect nothing but the grooviest from this three-time Triple J Hottest 100 winner. Listen to Nick Murphy (Chet Faker)’s newest Fear Less.
Glass Animals
UNITED KINGDOM
This Oxford quartet has produced one of the more interesting debuts (2014’s Zaba) in recent times, and now they’ve done it again with their new album How To Be A Human Being. Replete with ecstatic beats and polished pop hooks, Glass Animals does an exuberant live show that’s charmingly engaging from start to finish. Listen to Glass Animals’ Youth.
Bottlesmoker
INDONESIA
Hailing from Indonesia comes this electronic duo consisting of Anggung Suherman (Angkuy) and Ryan Nobie Adzani. Describing themselves as both experimental electronic pop and indietronic instrumental, Bottlesmoker uses an alchemy of toy musical instruments – a glockenspiel, a hand bell, and a melodica alongside other customised equipment to create its signature catchy harmonies. Listen to Bottlesmoker’s Batara Pandita.
KOHH
JAPAN
Japan’s never been known for its hip-hop scene, but KOHH may be the one to change all that. Producing mixtape after mixtape over several years, it was 2015 that lauded KOHH the attention he so deserves, dropping Dirtrelease – a combination of rock influences and defiant positivity loaded with hard undertones. In June this year, the rapper ushered in yet another release, but is it as good as Dirt? You tell us. Listen to KOHH’s Dirt II.
AURORA
NORWAY
Fresh out of her teens, the talented songwriter joins Laneway all the way from Bergen, Norway. Filled with euphoric pop lines in which hides her thoughtful introspective nature, AURORA‘s fantastical debut All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend is a force to be reckoned with. Her live shows are difficult to forget, and she’s mesmerised TV audiences with performances on Jimmy Fallon, Conan, and Colbert. Listen to AURORA’s Running With Wolves.
Mick Jenkins
UNITED STATES
With swift and socially conscious lyricism, 25-year old MC and poet Mick Jenkins is the future of contemporary hip-hop, having collaborated with the likes of Joey Bada$$, Kaytranada, and Chance the Rapper. Dishing out two outstanding mixtapes The Water[s] and Wave[s] in 2014 and 2015 respectively, he also recently released a debut full-length in September this year to critical acclaim. Listen to Mick Jenkin’s [T]he [H]ealing [C]omponent.
NAO
UNITED KINGDOM
East London singer-songwriter NAO is well on track to be the breakout future-soul star of the year, successfully getting both sides of the Atlantic to talk about her debut R&B-tinged release For All We Know, along with quiet standout single So Good. She’s also previously made a cameo on Disclosure’s Caracal. Listen to NAO’s In The Morning.
St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival 2017 is happening on Saturday, 21 January 2017 at The Meadow, Gardens by the Bay.
Top Image: Alvin Ho