Is This Music? will be heading down to Sheffield later this month for the city’s biggest music festival, taking place at Hillsborough Park, with Richard Ashcroft, Courteeners and Paul Heaton headlining proceedings.
With a stellar line-up across multiple stages, we’ve highlighted a handful of both established and up-and-coming artists you should keep an eye on!
Black Honey
Black Honey are a band on the up, amassing a legion of fans thanks to their constantly shifting canon of fizzing, visceral indie-pop as well as support slots for the likes of Liam Gallagher, IDLES and The Libertines. And with their own sold-out headline tour, the sky is the limit for the quartet, led by frontwoman Izzy Bee Phillips.
Dead Pony
Scottish alternative rock band Dead Pony have been making waves in the UK and Europe with gigs alongside Chvrches, The Maine & Lauran Hibberd, as well as performances at last year’s Glastonbury, Great Escape and TRNSMT. Newest single ‘MK Nothing’ brings about a new era of the band, with a soundscape of crunchy guitars, hook-driven synth and catchy vocals.
Modernlove
Drogheda four-piece modernlove. are making 2023 their year. Returning from their debut US tour in March, which saw the band perform at SXSW, they hit the road for a sell-out UK in April, as well as an appearance at Live at Leeds Festival. The band recently announced another UK tour for October and will be performing at Tramlines Festival on Saturday on The Leadmill Stage.
Lizzie Esau
With influences ranging from Wolf Alice to Radiohead to Beabadoobee, rising star Lizzie Esau has already racked up several performances at esteemed festivals such as Radio 1’s Big Weekend and Brighton’s Great Escape Festival. Lizzie also just announced dates for her upcoming headline tour in November. Be there on Friday to check her out on The Leadmill Stage.
Bonnie Kemplay
Fresh from supporting Dirty Hit labelmates The 1975 on their ‘At Their Very Best’ tour earlier this year, Edinburgh’s Bonnie Kemplay will be performing tracks from her debut EP “Running Out of Things to Say, Running Out of Things to Do”. Kemplay was once called ‘The UK’s top emerging artist’ by the BBC, get along to see her on Sunday to find out why.
Raul Kohli (Comedy)
North East native Raul Kohli is currently touring his new comedy set around the UK, which takes a look at what it means to be British. Come along and witness some superb political comedy interspersed with surreal storytelling and you might just find out why Indian, Geordie, and Welsh are all the same accent and why the UK government is actually all his fault.
Delilah Bon
Following her successful debut UK headline tour last autumn, a remarkable live appearance on the French Late Show with Alain Chabat on French national TV & a series of confirmed UK festival appearances this year at Bearded Theory, Shindig, 2000 Trees and more, Delilah Bon continues her spiralling trajectory into 2023 and beyond. Get down early to The Leadmill Stage on Friday to check out her fiery feminist anthems!
More at tramlines.org.uk.