Autumn brings with it a lack of festivals, but no one told Sŵn Festival in Cardiff. Here are the best acts that played at the Welsh showcase bonanza.
Who said festival szn ends when the temperature drops? I’ve got two hands on a lukewarm Americano, yawning as I walk out the front of Cardiff Central train station on a blustery Saturday in late October.
What has brought me to the Welsh capital, you ask? Well, unlike everyone else here, who seem to be on a collective stag or hen do even though it’s barely midday, all pint cowboy hats and phallic inflatables – I’m here to discover.
And where better to do so than Sŵn Festival? You might not have heard of it, but your favourite band or artist has most likely played there on their route to their current success. It’s a leading light in Wales’ live music scene, bringing the best new acts from across the UK and further afield, as well as a pantheon of industry professionals (thanks very much) to Cardiff for three days of panels, parties and pints.
Other commitments mean I’ve had to miss out on Thursday and Friday, and I’m only able to make it on Saturday. Guess I’ll need to drink three days’ worth of Guinness in 24 hours to make up for it! And so, as I trounce around Cardiff with a positive attitude and failing mobile data, here is what I discover: these are five acts to keep your eye on…
Pollyfromthedirt
He may have only released three singles so far, but Pollyfromthedirt has quickly established a sound that is hued with nostalgia and drizzled with a daring uniqueness. From the obscure Northern England town of Darlington, the artist has been plucked from suburbia and into the alt consciousness – he’s got a cool mask as well, sort of butterfly-like.
Slate
Local heroes Slate have become known as one of the most inventive and evocative new bands in punk. I’ve seen them a few times now and every performance, they stretch their sound to impressive lengths. Having played a, I’m sure, teeth-clenching full band set up the previous day, the show I catch is a stripped-back effort in the local church. It’s meditative, gorgeous stuff, culminating in a climatic cover of Leonard Cohen. Majestic.
wing!
I tag along with my PR pal to this one – an act I’ve never heard of before but will certainly be keeping tabs on from now on. Backed by an excellent drummer and bassist, wing! is a fresh-faced bedroom beatmaker mixing genres like baking ingredients. A delicious amalgam of post-rock, trip hop and boom bap, the Green Man Rising competition winner looks set to pop up in a venue near you next year.
Lover’s Skit
By the time I get to Lover’s Skit set in a jam-packed, 100/150-ish cap venue, you can barely move in there. I spill half my pint on some burly fella, who looks at me with basking pride, a candid triumph. Because this is the kind of act that encourages mayhem. Maximalist pop punk with a modern electro twist, the Stockholm-raised, London-based duo are out to disrupt the underground scene and your perspiration levels alike.
oreglo
One of my personal favourite new bands of the current London scene, the now trio of boundary-pushers are suave, sophisticated and supremely gifted. They’ve come a long way from their dubby jazz roots, now combining their core sound with math rock rhythms and Led Zeppelin-esque guitar work. It’s fearless, deeply compelling stuff.
Words – Ben Tibbits
Sŵn Festival Sŵn Festival Sŵn Festival
