Ones to watch at Great Escape

THE GREAT ESCAPE: ONES TO WATCH

With Brighton’s The Great Escape Festival on the way, we’re rounding up what our contributors are most excited to see.

Words By Teddy Webb

CAT BURNS:

BRIT-school-educated songwriter creating some of indie-pop’s most arresting harmonies

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE:

Cat Burns is a woman of many talents, but her greatest strength is in her songwriting. She’s confessional, using her stunning compositions as diary entries you can’t look away from. Spare yet atmospheric instrumentals make the perfect background for a voice filled with pathos.

LIME GARDEN:

Tongue-in-cheek providers of seaside surf rock

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE:

Despite their undeniable talent, Lime Garden aren’t the kind of band to take themselves too seriously. Instead, these BIMM graduates sing about losing their marbles and fancying gig-goers from across the barriers, all while offering up swirling psychedelic riffs as if it’s the most natural thing on earth.

REBECCA BLACK:

Anti-celebrity of the early 2010s turned charismatic hyperpop star

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE:

Emerging from the ruins of misogyny-tinged backlash after her viral song ‘Friday’ turned her into the internet’s laughable main character, Rebecca Black has spent the last few years winning over fans as pop’s ultimate underdog. She now carves her own path as a proponent of left-field, genre-fluid pop for the girls, gays and theys.

WITCH FEVER:

Feminist dooom-punk targeting abuse and patriarchy with righteous rage

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE:

For anyone who’s been affected by sexist harassment or mistreatment, seeing Witch Fever may well be one of the most cathartic live music experiences you’ll have. From righteous headbangers like ‘Reincarnate’ to the jawdropping middle finger to religious sexual shame that is ‘In Birth’, the punk witches give their audience permission to shed their delicacy and scream.

CRAWLERS:

Alt-rock newcomers with box dyed hair and real heart

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE:

Self-described silly little eyeliner band Crawlers have a huge groundswell of support behind them right now, so this might be your last chance to see them live before they’re household names. While they’re capable of stirring a crowd with heavier tracks like ‘Monroe’, their most well-known song ‘Come Over (Again)’, made viral on TikTok, showcases a band with both passion and pipes.