Purple Sneakers Approved: Our top acts for BIGSOUND 2017
Every year, Australia's music industry converges on Brisbane for a week full of schmoozing, boozing and, of course, music for BIGSOUND. A music conference and festival, BIGSOUND is undoubtedly one of the biggest times of the year for the Australian music industry, with keynote speeches from international and local bigwigs, workshops and showcases - the latter of which makes up the festival part of the conference. For three nights, Fortitude Valley is turned into a literal hot bed of music lovers, as venues are taken over for showcases all night long.
With a lineup that continually boasts over 100 acts each year, the festival part of BIGSOUND is a chance to catch the next big thing, up close and personal. For half an hour, each artist gives their official showcase their all, highlighting who they are, why they're there and where they're going next. It's a pretty big deal, as the likes of Flume, Courtney Barnett, Gang Of Youths and Tkay Maidza have all played at BIGSOUND in the past (this writer saw Flume play to a measly crowd of 20 in 2012) and look where they are now.
Every year, the lineup outdoes its predecessors, packing in so many incredible acts, and this year is no different. We can't bloody wait, so we wanted to give you our take on who we're vying to catch a glimpse of come September. For more info on BIGSOUND, head here.
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Melbourne duo Alta have been around for a while, and we've loved them for a really long time. So, it's exciting to see them finally getting the attention they so very deserve. Having released music through tastemaker label Soothsayer, to joining Kilter on his upcoming national tour, a showcase at VIVID just gone and a slew of festival appearances around the country, Alta's brand of left-of-centre futuristic dance music, with all its blips and bloops and bass-heavy production is finally putting them on the map - where they belong.
They may have only just dropped their debut track, but we cannot get enough. Haiku Hands are high-energy, highly infectious and a whole lot of fun, and their debut track, 'Not About You' is the perfect blend of sing-songy pop music and ultra-cool vibes. Choosing to stay relatively anonymous, we have our eyes peeled for more from the four-piece and we're hoping this BIGSOUND announcement means more is on the way.
Seemingly coming out of nowhere, Brisbane's Isabel will be right at home playing in Fortitude Valley this September. With just two tracks under her belt, Isabel has already locked in supports at the sold out Airling album launch shows recently, and has seen critical acclaim for her latest single, 'Patterns' nation wide. Tipped to be absolutely captivating live, we can't wait to see her RnB vibes come to life!
Brisbane darlings OKBadlands make some of the sweetest, most delicate, yet powerfully captivating music we've heard in recent times. Rich and textured, they use organic sounds mixed with forward-thinking production to take you to another world. From their beautiful harmonies in tracks like 'PTY LTD' to the hugely successful 'Dust & Gold,' OKBadlands are onto something really good here. We had them play at our Eleventh Birthday Party as part of VIVID 2017, and for very good reason. Don't miss the chance to see this band in such a small setting - it won't be long 'til they're packing places out!
One of the true success stories of 2017 so far, Willaris. K released one song, and went onto to support Seekae DJs, Roland Tings, Crooked Colours, Palms Trax and more, as well as snagging festival spots at Groovin The Moo and Splendour In The Grass and Sydney's Volumes. However, this is all justified as his debut track 'Alchemy' really is that good. Taking inspiration from the likes of Seekae, Willaris. K's dark, brooding electronica is expertly and meticulously produced, and his live show is in a whole other league from his peers. We also had him play at our Eleventh Birthday last weekend, and he had the place absolutely heaving. Don't miss him!
More acts are set to be announced for BIGSOUND, which is set to kick off from September 5th-8th in Brisbane. Keep up to date here.
Words by Emma Jones
Image: Willaris. K at Purple Sneakers Eleventh Birthday by James Simpson
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