The best up and coming music to see at The Great Escape festival from these incredible acts.
ASK ELLIOT
This four-piece indie band, formed in 2018, from Liverpool is revolutionising the music industry with a unique sound and exciting live shows. They skilfully combine indie, pop, rock, country and disco, with each member contributing their own distinctive influences and backgrounds, to produce a sonic tapestry which is both distinctive and contagious. Ask Elliot have grown since their debut, with songs like Flowers of White and Settle Down demonstrating the band’s diversity and originality. Ask Elliot’s live performances are not to be missed; they excite and enthral listeners with their passion and intensity on stage. The band comprises a lead vocalist, two guitarists, a bassist and a drummer.
ÁINE DEANE
The 22-year-old singer-songwriter launched her career while enrolled in her last year of undergraduate studies. Her videos gained hundreds of thousands of followers as a result of the time she invested in creating and posting unique songs from her bedroom. In a fairy-tale-like turn of events, stars like Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran and Little Mix decided to repost her videos to their own fan bases. Since receiving her degree, Áine has gone on to create her debut EP, The Handmedowns, go on tour with James Bay and sell out her first headlining performance in London. At the start of the year, BBC Radio 1’s music of the week included the EP’s title track. After a second headline performance at London’s Omeara, Áine will then open for Sam Smith at the Royal Albert Hall.
ELLA MORE
In the neo-Soul section of the UK, Ella More is a blossoming secret flower. The Birmingham singer-songwriter uses music as therapy, putting any troubles to rest while also releasing the weight of the world from her shoulders. She gives listeners a window into her life via her open, soul-baring lyrics. She doesn’t like to fit into neat categories or rigid frameworks; instead, she may weave in many topics and aspects of her personality through melodies and impulsive runs that are never the same. Her openness about former relationships, happy moments, and her plans for the future makes it seem like upward mobility is the only option.
I. JORDAN
One of the most intriguing musicians in dance music, London-based I. Jordan is a dedicated follower of upbeat, emotionally charged dance music. This artist released their first original music in 2019 with an immediate effect after managing DJ residencies and organising DIY events around the UK for the better part of a decade. They were selected as a major name to watch across the board after an initial run of singles on the Local Action label and raucous live performances on Boiler Room and Keep Hush, with early backing coming from Ben UFO, Caribou, Sherelle, and more.
MASTER PEACE
The new output from Master Peace reflects a desire to create music which transcends trends and stands unaffected by the machinations of the music business. It is ambitious in both scope and sound. For his remarkable new EP, Peace Of Mind, Master Peace is poised to take the dazzling and unwavering next step in his unrivalled creative path. He credits influential indie acts like Arctic Monkeys and Bloc Party for being crucial to his musical development. He just finished a headline tour and a supporting slot with Nova Twins, which uncompromisingly lived up to his reputation for wild live performances.
ARTHUR HILL
By drawing inspiration from vintage rhythms, Arthur adds fresh ideas to timeless tunes. He has a talent for writing infectious choruses, and you’ll quickly be tapping your feet and singing along – even after only hearing his music once. With the release of his songs, How About Then and F You, Arthur continued the path of love tales, heartbreak and the sense of not being good enough. Emotions which everyone listening can identify with. Although largely in the pop genre, his music incorporates elements from a range of influences and offers a bold nostalgic feel.
49TH & MAIN
This Irish indie-pop duo, made up of vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Paddy King and producer Ben O’Sullivan, are from Kilkenny. The two first became friends when they met in school and, over a particularly sunny summer, started working on music together; with O’Sullivan experimenting with acoustics and learning how to record King’s guitar. Since then, 49th & Main have been on a roll, racking up more than 40 million streams and more than a million monthly Spotify listeners. The duo has gained recognition from several sectors of the industry throughout time, notably Red-Light Management, where they rapidly joined its strong worldwide roster.
KAI BOSCH
The music that 20-year-old Kai Bosch creates is staged in the shadows and infused with a subdued yet intense sense of emotional drama. It makes a lot of sense if you look at where he’s going rather than where he’s been. The singer’s upcoming first self-titled EP is beholden to the quest of sensation. Bosch moved from a peaceful hamlet in Cornwall to the vibrant nightlife of Berlin at the age of 17, before migrating to London. The EP’s four tracks wear their emotions on their sleeves, conjuring hazy lost evenings and brief moments caught mid-breath, nodding to the nocturnal sensibilities of James Blake and the clear picture-painting of Lorde.
