TOP BILLIN': Great Escape Festival
What could be better than sun, sea and undiscovered artists? Brighton’s annual festival returned in May 2019, The Great Escape, featuring over 400 artists from every genre you could think of, with artists spanning across indie and alternative, soul and RnB to hip-hop and grime. Here’s our top artists from this year’s festival.
We discovered Keyah/Blu after she added her dulcet tones to Denzel Himself’s Melty on COLORS in April 2018. With her wide brimmed hat and braids, the singer was the highlight of Notion’s stage. There’s a nostalgia around Keyah/Blu with her 90s look, old school hip-hop vibes and neo soul-inspired vocals. The heavy bass and trappy vibes on Sweet mixed with her soft rapping makes for an atmospheric feel. We recommend listening to Stargate
For fans of: Abra, Kelela & Kilo Kish
Performing at One Church Brighton with a live band, Rachel Chinouriri was one of our top discoveries at this year’s festival. The Croydon-raised singer-songwriter is a breath of fresh air with her alt-pop/R&B vibes, with a vocal range and depth that exceeds her years.
For fans of: Lianne La Havas, Izzy Bizu & Jones
Playing in the packed-out Noisey stage at Brighton’s Patterns venue, Murkage Dave stepped things up brought his
After selling out his UK tour, the singer-songwriter didn’t disappoint, bringing out artists Manga Saint Hilare and Frankie Stew to amp up the night. Our favourite tracks of the night include Keep Up the Bad Work and of course, the modern classic that is Murkage Dave Changed my Life.
For fans of: The Streets, Jaykae, Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn
For the past few years, 0161 has been bringing the heat. From trap jazz soulstress IAMDDB to rapper Afro Sam, Manchester has been the birthplace for not only new and exciting artists, but also equally exciting new genres. R&B, neo soul and rap duo, Children of Zeus, are our act to look out for. Blending their unique sound with reggae influences, pirate radio vibes and old-school hip-hop samples, they’re a completely fresh sound and we can’t get enough. The highlight of their set has to be the discovery of new soul voice, KSR. At a mere 19 years old, he has the vocal range, ability and depth that brings the likes of Miguel and John Legend to mind. We recommend listening to Still Standing.
For fans of: Jordan Rakei, Anderson .Paak & The Mouse Outfit
Words by: Mireille Harper
Photos by: Ellie Ramsden