Reading and Leeds 2021: The Best Smaller Artists at This Year’s Festival
Perhaps the most exciting thing about Reading and Leeds isn’t the big names but the young artists you discover and fall in love with. Suddenly you find yourself following their careers in desperation for a success story so you can brag how you ‘saw them when they were small.’ In fact the festival is famous for it, particularly as these lesser known acts are thrown in front of crowd sizes they’re not accustomed to. You can almost guarantee that hidden away in one of the tents this year is the next Arctic Monkeys or The 1975. As close as 2018 Lewis Capaldi, Sam Fender, Tom Grennan, Sea Girls, Pale Waves and Easy Life (the list goes on) were all tucked away in the Festival Republic tent and now could or are playing on the Main Stage and this is without even considering the Radio 1 Xtra or BBC Introducing Stages. It’s scary to think which future alternative or indie rock headliner is lurking in these gold-mines. Below are some of my best bets.
Alfie Templeman: This Bedfordshire boy wonder was born in 2003-yes 2003-and following his self-proclaimed “mini album” Forever Isn’t Long Enough he finds himself dubbed one of the hottest upcoming UK artists. With his contagious tropical indie pop and prolific songwriting proven by three EPs released in his teens before this “mini-album,” Templeman has had quite the start to his career. He finds himself on the Dance Stage this year, and while his sound contains these funky influences, he would’ve been suited to a Festival Republic Stage brimming with indie fans. Let’s also hope he’s not clashing with Easy Life.
Nevertheless, wherever this man is situated he is definitely not one to let slip by. Already with tremendous backing from radio stations, Templeman is destined for stardom at 18 with numerous and annoyingly catchy singles such as ‘Everybody’s Gonna Love Somebody,’ ‘Happiness In Liquid Form’ and ‘Stop Thinking (About Me).’ At such a young age he also has made considerable impressions on his peers, collaborating with Circa Waves and Oscar Lang as well as supporting Sundara Karma and will be opening for Declan McKenna later this year, a man who similarly enjoyed success in his teens. Like McKenna, Templeman is not only similar in style but has had to deal with pressures of being labelled a future star before turning an adult. Yet his consistency, sonic maturity and infectious likeability leaves me in no doubt he will be on mainstages for years to come. So go and watch him in a small tent while you can!
>For fans of: Declan McKenna, Tame Impala, Mac DeMarco, Still Woozy
Holly Humberstone: Coming out of Grantham in rural Lincolnshire is 21 year old Humberstone who is an artist full of promise. Last year’s debut EP Falling Asleep At The Wheel is a stunning first project held with high regard amongst critics and fans, exhibiting such a fresh, exciting modern sound which takes the recently popularised mellow indie of Pheobe Bridgers and Clairo and combines this with haunting pop beats of Lorde and The 1975, the latter of whom she will be releasing a song with. This enthralling blend is capped off with deeply pensive and crushingly honest lyrics alongside gorgeous vocals. If ever there was a sound to define the 2020s in both style, influences and its introspective content, it is Holly’s.
Yet her music still remains exposed to a pretty small scale. I came across Humberstone following her performance of single ‘The Walls Are Way Too Thin’ on Later With Jools Holland, a brutally vulnerable track coming from her latest EP released this autumn which was stripped down to just her angelic voice and an echoing electric guitar. It certainly had my hairs standing on end. Elsewhere she’s been on The Late Late Show With James Cordon and supported Lewis Capaldi on his massive debut album tour. She could explode into stardom at any minute which makes her Reading and Leeds set on the Festival Republic Stage one to highlight as a must. The sky is truly the limit.
>For fans of: Phoebe Bridgers, Lorde, The 1975, Ben Howard
Baby Queen: Born in South Africa, Baby Queen, or Arabella Latham, is another whose music, like Holly Humberstone’s, is strikingly modern in its direct, honest delivery and sound that combines a variety of contemporary influences. But unlike Humberstone it’s the fiery alt-pop edge that shines through; sometimes stealing nineties rock hooks, sometimes Lily Allen’s charm and wordplay, and the majority of the time bouncing off The 1975’s melodic beats (who aren’t they influencing nowadays?). In this case Baby Queen’s Festival Republic set will be loud and glittery, filled with charisma and groovy pop anthems.
Her fanbase is gradually growing after her debut EP Medicine was released last year and with a successful summer of UK festivals, her second EP coming out a week after Reading and Leeds, and a promising slot supporting Sea Girls on their long UK autumn tour, Baby Queen could instantly become a name on indie fans’ lips. Even if she doesn’t live up to expectations and transform into a dominant UK festival artist, it would be silly to ignore her performance, with unbridled, no-nonsense raw entertainment promised.
>For fans of: The 1975, The Vaccines, YUNGBLOOD, Olivia Rodrigo
girl in red: One of the rare names on the lineup not from the UK in a pandemic-affected year is Norwegian indie dream pop heroine girl in red. 22 year old Marie Ulven Ringheim has been gathering a realm of fans for a couple of years now which has only been accelerating after her debut album if i could make it go quiet was released earlier this year. This record is archetypal of the bedroom pop which is currently in the ascendancy, resulting in impressive streaming numbers that amount to over nine million monthly Spotify listeners. Yet girl in red has a distinctively gutsy edge to her, revealed in her album’s louder, grizzlier fuzzy-pop electronic pieces indicating a good live show awaits us.
This is a performance hardcore fans have waited an age for over the pandemic, able to connect with relatable themes of sexuality and mental health battles. Besides from her album, she is an NME cover star and has been dubbed a queer icon. There’s almost an expectation for her to deliver an astounding set when she headlines the Festival Republic (unfortunately clashing with Liam Gallagher or Biffy Clyro) and there’s no reason why she can’t. If neither of the Main Stage big boys intrigue you then girl in red is a glorious opportunity to watch a Gen Z icon in the making.
>For fans of: Beabadoobee, Charli XCX, Clairo, King Princess
Bakar: An artist who has been around for a while now is Camden’s finest indie rap-rocker Bakar who’s love for noughties garage and punk rock coincides with hip hop and tinges of bedroom pop to create another fabulous multi-genre act. Since 2017 when he released his first project Badkid, it’s his singles that have caught the eye. Word got around about ‘Big Dreams’ thanks to its inclusion on FIFA 19 whilst the soulful ‘Hell N Back’ attained a Triple-A number one in America, a staggering achievement for any UK artist never mind someone at the start of their career.
This early success has left fans desperate for what’s next, and with no new music out this year so far, Bakar must have been drawing up some treats during the lockdowns. With a live reputation for notoriously raucous shows, maybe we will be lucky to hear some new songs when he tears the Festival Republic Stage’s roof off this year. By making a such name for himself without even releasing a full length album, alongside his upbringing on classic British indie acts, Bakar’s performance will evoke nostalgia from the glory days of noughties UK festivals all whilst providing his own twist. The result will be unencumbered, joyous carnage.
>For fans of: King Krule, Bloc Party, Slowthai, Yellow Days, Easy Life
Best Alternative Acts on the BBC Introducing Stage
BBC Introducing do a marvelous job each year across UK festivals promoting the best unsigned talent. Often artists either unfortunately don’t quite make a breakthrough or their careers launch rapidly. It’s always these polar opposites. Some of those successors include Catfish and the Bottlemen, Two Door Cinema Club and Blossoms as well as the likes of Adele and Ed Sheeran. Let’s hope I select the ones on the right side of talent and luck. With only one day of the Festival Republic Stage across the weekend in a more limited lineup, this year the BBC Introducing is as fruitful as ever with artists who’d usually be placed in the Festival Republic tent ripe for the picking on this legendary smaller stage. Below I’ve selected specifically indie, rock and alternative picks.
Low Hummer: Headlining the BBC Introducing Stage is another rising British post-punk band Low Hummer who boast a potent eighties sound of throbbing, bass lines and clanging guitars occasionally enhanced by The Cure-esque synths all whilst feeling fresh. Like their peers, underlying their lyrics are themes of youthhood and politics but they tackle ideas more subtly with their more commercially viable sound unlike the in-your-face nicheness of Black Country, New Road and Black Midi. Therefore it’ll be fascinating to see how this group from Hull are received by crowds, with the potential to become more familiar, radio friendly names, the kind that exist on Radio 1 as well as Radio 6, and with their debut album Modern Tricks For Living coming out in September, there’s no better time to see them.
>For fans of: eighties favourites (Pixies, The Cure, The Smiths etc.), Sports Team, Squid, Sonic Youth, The Strokes
Lauran Hibberd: At the end of July, Isle of Wight’s Hibberd released her EP Goober, a glowing record verifying her status as potentially the best artist donning the BBC Introducing Stage this year. Imagine the bold aura of Phoebe Bridgers fronting Weezer but with more enticing, direct vocals. Hibberd, akin to Baby Queen, is hopping on board the trend of indie slacker rock that alludes to nineties and early noughties pop-punk. Yet I think she juggles greater influences, comfortable with softer songs stemming from her acoustic roots as well as the rowdier crowd pleasers. It’s taken time but Hibberd has arrived and will show unmissable promise opening the BBC Introducing Stage at Leeds this year.
>For fans of: Beabadoobee, Weezer, Sea Girls, Wolf Alice
Master Peace: This indie-pop old school rapper is, as you can imagine, a bundle of fun, combining all sorts of sounds and genres to create something unconventional. His latest EP Public Display of Affection demonstrates this, a project that teases an AJ Tracey, Playboi Carti sound but adds shavings of savage punk and emotional alt-pop until you question whether he is a rapper at all. One who should definitely be on a larger stage, the genre-bending Master Peace hopes to become a “pop star” and this is where his career will kick off.
>For fans of: Bakar, Easy Life, and dare I say the likes of Shame and The Clash
Others to consider:
- Tayo Sound: 18 year old following in the footsteps of Yellow Days and Still Woozy by creating alluringly chilled psychedelic bedroom pop.
- Yard Act: Another band that can be prescribed to the emerging UK post-punk politically charged scene who will remind you of early Arctic Monkeys garage rock.
- Josie Man: Sugary and summery pop that radiates in the mellow moments provided by Arlo Parks and Clairo’s earlier tunes fashioned in her bedroom.
- Calva Louise: If Bring Me The Horizon’s fuzzy pop-punk is for you then this multilingual band extends these influences with electrifying success.
- Bull: Cheerful, jangling indie rock fit for a relaxing summer listen that emanates that optimism we all need from our weekend.
Conclusion
It’s clear to see the direction music is going in. Almost all these young artists are drawn to Billie Eilish and The 1975. Some edge on the side of relaxing summery bedroom indie pioneered by Rex Orange County and Mac DeMarco. Some ignore the trends with their enthralling post-Brexit politically charged post-punk. Almost all aren’t prescribed to one genre. No matter the direction, how this quality music translates to live shows will be a fascinating watch. Festivals of the past were defined by who created the biggest moshpits. Many years and a pandemic later this factor is still crucial but it’s those who can control the crowd with their somber tones that are thriving. Those radio friendly artists who’ve had success in an age of streaming now need to prove they can handle the festival circuit. Here they have their chance.
