COOL AS LEICESTER

Music fans, we’re here with your weekly Leicester music guide featuring news and interviews from across the local scene.

This weekly music update is brought to you in partnership with PPL PRS Ltd. Big thanks for their ongoing support of local acts and venues.

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DIARY DATES

Stone Foundation – Sunday 5 September
The Musician

The Midlands based rock & soul band have released five studio albums during their career and have worked alongside Paul Weller, Dr. Robert, Bettye Lavette, William Bell, Nolan Porter, Kathryn Williams, Mick Talbot, Hamish Stuart, Steve White, Joe Harris and more. Sure to be a great show! TICKETS.

Blossoms – Monday 6 September
O2 Academy Leicester

After topping the charts with new album, Foolish Loving Spaces and smashing through their extensive UK tour, Blossoms return in 2021. TICKETS.

The Courteeners – Tuesday 7 September
O2 Academy Leicester

Manchester favourites, The Courteeners are back in Leicester for a warm-up show gig ahead of their mega sold out Old Trafford show. They both look and sound as though they’ve come straight out of another time and place, and yet, somehow, are bang up to date. Think Babyshambles meets The Smiths and you’ll be somewhere close to their gritty, electrifying sound. TICKETS.

Declan McKenna – Thursday 9 September
o2 Academy Leicester

“UK indie troubadour, a little bit oikish and with a nifty talent for mainstream melody” – NME. TICKETS.

What better way to get back to the festival scene than with one of Leicester’s most exciting new events, WIDE EYED.

WIDE EYED is a brand new one day festival  featuring a raft of the most hotly tipped talent from across the UK. The one day event takes place at Leicester’s O2 Academy on Saturday 18 September, and it’s already over 90% sold out, so make sure you snap up one of the remaining tickets before it’s too late.

BEAK>, The Orielles and Warmduscher and just 3 of the class acts that festival goers will see across Academy stages, on a day that is packed from top to toe with blistering live performances.

WIDE EYED is brought to you from some of those lovely folks behind the popular Leicester festival, Handmade Festival.

Since 2015 Handmade showcased some of the hottest new emerging talent on the indie-punk scene, and this year WIDE EYED will cram as much of that same fun as it can into one day across two stages. Alongside some of the UK’s best emerging band it will also showcase the cream of Leicester’s local scene.

WIDE EYED promoter Nik Sharpe commented, “WIDE EYED is a new one-day festival to showcase some of the best new emerging bands we can’t stop listening to. With the return of live music, it’s an extremely exciting time for Leicester’s music scene and WIDE EYED is looking to prove itself as one of the most exciting new festivals in the country.”

MUST SEE

BEAK>

You won’t want to miss hugely talented psych-electro-rock trio BEAK>. Featuring multi-instrumentalist members Geoff Barrow (best known as one third of Portishead), Billy Fuller and Will Young, they have released three albums over the last decade, the most recent in 2019. “Powerful and pristine… Swampy and divine.” – Louder than War

Katy J Pearson

The singer-songwriter from somewhere between Bristol and Gloucestershire, Katy cut her teeth in the dream-pop duo, Ardyn that she formed with her brother. Solo, she strikes a delicate balance between country-style lyricism, folkish arrangements and a deft swathe of pop. “Songs which soundtrack your hazy, slumber-induced solitude.” – Heavenly Recordings

The Orielles

This four-piece from Halifax, who released their debut album Disco Volador for Heavenly Recordings at the end of February, were described by The Guardian as “sharp as they are spacey, at home with psychedelic wooze and seductively chugging guitar pop.”  

The People Assembly

Local Leicester favourites, The People Assembly, released their debut album, The International Post Space Centre, last month. The popular local favourites haven’t wasted a second painting their world as they see it, gaining a reputation for fanatical, confrontational, and occasionally destructive live performances. Expect more of the same at WIDE EYED.

WIDE EYED Festival takes place at O2 Academy Leicester on Saturday 18 September. Remaining tickets are £20.00 adv and are on sale now from Gigantic. 

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WEEKLY PLAYLIST

This week WIDE EYED Festival is taking over the playlist for you. Pick out the bands that’ll be topping your must see list!

Have a listen and get in touch to tell us which tracks you’re loving.

MORE MUSIC NEWS NEXT WEEK