Quickly becoming one of the country's most loved festivals, YOURS & OWLS is set to make its return to Wollongong this year.
Quickly becoming one of the country's most loved festivals, YOURS & OWLS is set to make its return to Wollongong this year, and it's shaping up to be its biggest year yet. With three huge headliners locked in (ANGUS & JULIA STONE, PEKING DUK, and ALISON WONDERLAND, just casually) plus a whole slew of exciting artists, both local and international, they've once again delivered the goods to the 'Gong in a way only YOURS & OWLS can.
Kicking off over the last weekend of September, punters are (almost) spoiled for choice this year, so we've taken it upon ourselves to crunch the numbers and nail down our top five unmissable acts at this year's festival. From international fame to pop darlings and future superstars, these are the artists we reckon you should be setting iCal reminders for come September 29th and 30th in Wollongong!
CUB SPORT
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From the release of the critically acclaimed album, BATS, last year, Cub Sport have gone from Brisbane indie darlings to international stars over the last 18 months. Embarking on their biggest tour yet in not just Australia but the UK and US as well, Cub Sport have quickly become loved worldwide thanks to their experimental pop production, heartfelt and personal lyrics and charming personalities. They invited the world into their lives with members Tim Nelson and Sam Netterfield announcing their engagement publicly, and they've combined their passion for uplifting the queer community with their music more than ever before, making them even more loved around the world. Now, after their global tour, they'll be hitting up Wollongong and bringing their incredible live show to Yours & Owls making them an act you can't miss.
ALICE IVY
February saw the highly anticipated debut album of Australian producer ALICE IVY, and with it the final confirmation that she truly is the real deal. Infusing soulful samples with live instrumentation, I'm Dreaming is a thrilling trip down the rabbit hole with Ivy as your tour guide, quickly diverting into different soundscapes to make it an incredible journey. Expertly put together, Alice Ivy has rapidly become one of Australia's best producers and has played just about every festival around the country as well as a slew of her own headline shows and supporting Flight Facilities, Vera Blue and The Jungle Giants in this year alone, it's safe to say she can bring it just as much on stage as she can in the studio. Don't miss her!
MALLRAT
Currently on tour supporting her critically acclaimed second EP, In The Sky, future superstar Mallrat is a pop juggernaut that's got a one way ticket to the top. Having first cut her teeth by linking up with Allday, she's evolved from high-school bedroom artist just trying out some sounds to one of Australia's most cherished artists. With one of the most loyal fanbases in the country behind her, her feel-good sets have made hundreds, if not thousands, of punters glow from the inside out as her infectious joy is impossible to ignore. Now with a few singalong tunes under her belt, Mallrat's set will be one that will have you smiling for days to come post-Y&O.
JACK RIVER
Holly Rankin, aka JACK RIVER, has delivered one of 2018's best records with her debut album, Sugar Mountain. Turning personal tragedy into a creative force, Rankin is a bonafide star, crafting psych-tinged pop that harks back to a bygone era with an innate timelessness, while possessing a certain edge that shows she's just as tough as she is sweet. After a string of sold out headline shows earlier this year across the country, she'll be fresh off her biggest tour yet come September 29 and 30 for Yours & Owls, meaning she'll be sounding as out-of-this-world as ever to cut to your core while making you dance.
YOURS & OWLS
September 29th & 20th, 2018
Stuart Park, Wollongong
Angus & Julia Stone · Peking Duk · Alison Wonderland · The Jungle Giants · Methyl Ethel · Ocean Alley · Hockey Dad · D.D Dumbo Middle Kids · Cub Sport · Alex the Astronaut · Alice Ivy · Big White · Boy Toy · Clews Dear Seattle · Destroyer · Didirri · E^st · Fritz · Hellions · Jack River · Jess Locke Johnny Hunter Liars · Listener · Luca Brasi · Maddy Jane · Mallrat · Mere Women Mezko Moaning Lisa · Nyxen · Obscura Hail · Pist Idiots · Polaris · Press Club · Psychedelic Porn Crumpets · Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever · Step-Panther Stonefield · The Vanns · Tiny Little Houses · Touch Sensitive · Tropical Fuck Storm Tumbleweed · Yahtzel (Live) · You Beauty + PLUS MORE
Image by James Simpson of Northeast Party House at Y&O 2017. View the full gallery here.
Words by Emma Jones
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