Emma Pollock and Alexis Taylor (Hot Chip) share top billing at two-day festival of visionary music
From immersive songwriting to theatrical dance-pop via freeform folk and jangling melodicism, Platform is humbled to present 10 of the most engaging acts in contemporary music across two stages on on both nights.
The headline act on the opening night is Emma Pollock, whose third solo album In Search of Harperfield drew lashings of praise upon its release in January – and rightly so. A career high, the album’s reception paved the way for a slew of tour dates and festival appearances including Latitude, the Edinburgh International Festival and the Green Man.
The second evening sees Platform welcome Alexis Taylor of the roundly adored electronic band Hot Chip. In 2016 Taylor released his second solo album Piano, a collection of original songs and cover versions delivered in a blissfully minimalist fashion.
The following acts complete Eastern Promise:
FRIDAY 7 OCTOBER
Modern Studies – enchanting Glasgow-based chamber-pop quartet who release their debut album Swell to Great on Song, By Toad this autumn
Rick Redbeard – the Phantom Band’s Rick Anthony dons his solo folk guise as second solo album Awake Unto (Chemikal Underground) gathers critical and commercial momentum
Whyte – Achingly beautiful Gaelic vocals immersed in subtle minimal electronica
Spinning Coin – Guitar urchins taking ragged melodicism by the scruff of the neck and breathing summery new life into the art of the pop song. Endorsed by Edwyn Collins and
the Pastels … say no more
SATURDAY 8 OCTOBER
Grumbling Fur – Psych duo Alexander Tucker and Daniel O’Sullivan released their fourth album Furfour on Thrill Jockey earlier this year, an essential insight into a shared universe that spans comics, theology and untrammeled artistic experimentation
Hen Ogledd – aka an unpredictable, uplifting collaboration between rebel folk singer-songwriter (and proud son of Newcastle) Richard Dawson and Welsh free harpist Rhodri Davies
The Flexibles – a new trio featuring Richard Youngs, his son Sorley and Andrew Paine, whose debut album Pink Everything is released by Glasgow’s increasingly essential Night
School Records
Snails – an experimental pop trio from Bristol ploughing a furrow established by outsiders such as Syd Barrett, Kevin Ayers and Nico
