(Thumbnail courtesy of Jeremy Johnson-Silvers)
You can’t discuss the Australian festival scene without St Jerome’s Laneway Festival. With a knack for finding both upcoming and established artists alike, the festival continues to outshine itself each and every year. As the announcement of the festival’s 2020 lineup rolls around this week, rumours and predictions are on everyone’s mind.
Ever the progressive and cutting edge festival, here’s some idea of who you can expect to see at Laneway 2020.
Blood Orange
Photo courtesy of Philip Cosores
Devonte Hynes is the embodiment of a 21st century artist. His Blood Orange project can’t be categorised, blending elements of R&B, hip-hop, jazz, dance and classical music into a mesmerising style. With a renowned live prowess, Blood Orange is yet to play in Australia, with the alternative Laneway circuit serving as the perfect setting for Hynes’ debut.
Earl Sweatshirt
Photo courtesy of Maggie Elizabeth
More of a wish than a prediction from our team, Earl Sweatshirt has crafted his own path in an age where hip-hop relies on trap beats and guest features. A lot has changed in Sweatshirt’s life since his 2015 Splendour appearance, namely the loss of both his father and uncle in a matter of months. Enter ‘Some Rap Songs’, a record that is fuelled by Sweatshirt’s knack for off-kilter beats and equally as mind-bending bars. If Laneway were to acquire any hip-hop artist, it should be Earl Sweatshirt.
Charli XCX
Photo courtesy of Logan White
Charli XCX embodies everything you find in a Laneway artist. Progressive, ground-breaking and going against the grain of “pop music”, it’s likely that we’ll see Charli XCX bring her latest record ‘Charli’ down under after a surprise show in August that shut down Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory.
Weyes Blood
Photo courtesy of Kristyna Archer
By the time 2019 comes to an end, we’ll be seeing Weyes Blood’s ‘Titanic Rising’ on every “Best of 2019” list. The melodramatic, dreamy pop that we’ve come to love on Blood’s past three albums truly finds its feet on this record, as grand pianos and soft folk-inspired acoustics dance around Natalie Merring’s eerie vocals. If Mitski stole your heart at Laneway 2019, Weyes Blood will do the same in 2020.
Toro Y Moi
Photo courtesy of Andrew Paynter
Much like Blood Orange, the style of Toro Y Moi is hard to precisely label, although it is undeniably a product of mastermind Chaz Bundick’s diverse musical upbringing. With an extensive eight-album discography in only ten years, you can’t help but feel by now that Bundick has left no stone unturned, however, his sound develops further into genius with each subsequent release. Pairing laidback grooves with witty and profound subject matter, Toro Y Moi will be a welcome sight at Laneway 2020.
IDLES
Photo courtesy of Charlotte Patmore
Flailing limbs, moshpits and the feeling that punk is well and truly alive is what you can expect at an IDLES set. Five lads from Bristol, England have emerged as the new torch bearers of punk, armed with a ferociousness and wit that can only be truly realised in a live setting.
Fontaines D.C.
Photo courtesy of Chris Almeida
If IDLES represent punk, Fontaines D.C. channel the evolution of the genre into its post-punk iteration. Rhythm takes the forefront in this Dublin band, the instrumentals twisting and turning around front-man’s Carlos O’Connell’s unapologetic Irish croon. With only a debut album under their belt, Fontaines D.C. have big things ahead, and would align with Laneway’s knack for curating artists on the cusp of breakout.
Hatchie
Photo courtesy of the artist
Often compared to shoegaze stalwarts like Cocteau Twins and Mazzy Star, Hatchie is more than her influences. The Brisbane songwriter has crafted a sound that is distinctly her own, particularly in the Australian scene. It only takes one listen of her debut album, ‘Keepsake’, to realise that Hatchie has only just embarked on a career of immense success and acclaim.
The Chats
Photo courtesy of the artists.
There’s more to The Chats than meets the eye. Behind the viral hits is a trio that already possess an undeniable knack for writing truly infectious pub rock. If there was any band that represents the sound of garage punk, it is The Chats. With a debut album in the works, The Chats would be a welcome local addition to the Laneway 2020 lineup.
PUP
Photo courtesy of the artists.
Canadian punk export PUP are no strangers to Australia, gracing our stages just last year as part of DZ Deathrays’ ten year anniversary tour. That being said, we think that you’ll struggle to find anyone who doesn’t want to catch PUP. The release of their third record ‘Morbid Stuff’ solidified PUP as one of Canada’s finest heavy music exports, and only accentuates the desire to catch the five-piece at Laneway 2020.