While you’re likely choosing which summer festival to attend based on the name recognition of its headlining acts, it’s important not to let your afternoons go to waste. Afternoon and early evening sets frequently pair up unsuspecting audiences with their new favorite artist, and—despite the romantic notion of love at first mic check—it helps to have a primer on the sounds behind the anonymous names lining the fine print of your festival’s flyer.
Lucky for you we have SiriusXM’s Jeff Regan—a professional—on deck to give you an introduction to this year’s heavy-hitters, conveniently compiled in a playlist below.
From: Doncaster, England
The Deal: Incorporating ska, punk, hip-hop, and rock into a fresh take on alternative rock, this nineteen-year-old from the UK is set to break out on the North American festival scene
The Song: “Anarchist”
See: Lollapalooza, Life Is Beautiful, Warped Tour
From: Manchester, England
The Deal: Goth-pop outfit who have worked and toured with The 1975, inspiring the style and sound of their debut EP, All the Things I Never Said
The Song: “Kiss”
See: Lollapalooza, Outside Lands
From: Gold Coast, Australia
The Deal: Pop purist who has honed her craft and musical style opening for Vance Joy and is now ready to take the stage in support of her debut release, Love Monster
The Song: “I Said Hi”
See: Lollapalooza, Life Is Beautiful
From: Foxborough, Massachusetts
The Deal: Joe Mulherin—a.k.a. nothing,nowhere.—fuses hip-hop, rock, and emo into a unique style of music all his own, highlighted on his most recent album, ruiner
The Song: “ruiner”
See: Lollapalooza, Bumbershoot
From: Nashville, Tennessee
The Deal: Alt-pop singer/songwriter incorporating soul, electro, and rock elements on his debut album vital
The Song: “Carry the Weight”
See: Lollapalooza, Cayuga Sound Festival
From: Los Angeles, California
The Deal: After breaking through with the song “Broken,” the indie-pop trio is ready to build upon its success at festivals across the country
The Song: “these are my friends”
See: Lollapalooza, Billboard Hot 100 Festival, Bumbershoot, Life Is Beautiful
From: New York, New York
The Deal: Singer/songwriter/producer Zachary William Dess—a.k.a. Two Feet—successfully blends minimal rock, alt-rock, blues, and hip-hop styles with thick production elements
The Song: “I Feel Like I’m Drowning”
See: Lollapalooza, Life Is Beautiful, Music Midtown, All Things Go
From: Los Angeles, California
The Deal: Buzzy three-piece whose Spring EP has set the tone for a breakout summer of touring
The Song: “Pictures of Girls”
See: Lollapalooza, Life Is Beautiful, Austin City Limits, Voodoo Fest
This article appears in the 2018 FLOOD Festival Guide, presented by SiriusXM and Toyota. You can check out the rest of the magazine here.
Catch Jeff Regan on SiriusXM’s Alt Nation (Channel 36) Monday through Thursday (5:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.) and as the host of the emerging artist show Advanced Placement on Thursdays at 3:00 p.m.
Listen to Alt Nation’s Alt-8 Countdown every Saturday at 1:00 p.m., with replays Saturday (3:00 p.m.), Sunday (3:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m., and Monday (10:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m.).
