As one-third of seminal band Cocteau Twins, Simon Raymonde helped create some of the most beautiful and memorable albums of the ’80s and ‘90s. For the past twenty-seven years, discovering and developing globally renowned artists like Fleet Foxes, Flaming Lips, Beach House, Ezra Furman, Laura Veirs, Mercury Rev, Father John Misty and John Grant, on his Bella Union label, he has helped define the independent music scene. He will be joining us at the festival to discuss In One Ear, his new memoir published by Nine Eight in which he charts his extraordinary life and times in music: from his relationship with his father, Ivor Raymonde (the legendary producer and songwriter), his first steps as a recording artist (standing in the rain outside Broadcasting House to hand a tape to John Peel) and the glorious and sometimes turbulent times with Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil. In 2001 Bella Union was on the up (at least artistically if not financially) when Simon found himself totally deaf in one ear – ‘I keep waking up wondering if that desire to listen to the next demo in my Inbox will have deserted me overnight. So far it hasn’t. As long as my one good ear still works, I’ll keep listening.’
We are delighted to be welcoming Harriet Baker to discuss Rural Hours: The Country Lives of Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Townsend Warner & Rosamond Lehmann. The book tells the story of three very different women, each of whom moved to the countryside and were forever changed by it. We encounter them at quiet moments – pausing to look at an insect on the windowsill; jotting down a recipe; or digging for potatoes, dirt beneath their nails. Slowly, we start to see transformations unfold. Following long periods of creative uncertainty and private disappointment, each of Harriet’s subjects is invigorated by new landscapes, and the daily trials and small pleasures of making a home; slowly, they embark on new experiments in form, in feeling and in living that would resonate throughout the rest of their lives. In the country, each woman finds her path: to convalescence and recovery; to sexual and political awakening; and, above all, to personal freedom and creative flourishing.
Harriet Baker has written for the London Review of Books, the Paris Review, the New Statesman, the TLS, Apollo and frieze. She read English at Oxford and holds a PhD from Queen Mary, University of London. In 2018, she was awarded the Biographers’ Club Tony Lothian Prize. She lives in Bristol.
The work of Nicky Harris, also known as NiCKY, draws inspiration from the aesthetics of the circus and the vibrant queer performance scene of East London. With a style reminiscent of Anohni and Perfume Genius, NiCKY infuses their music with tender-hearted songcraft and dramatic flair. From composing to performing, NiCKY embodies an artistic identity that captivates audiences with its intimacy and irreverence.
Spotify
Fusing Turkish sounds of the past (from traditional Anatolian folk to the iconic psych-rock of Erkin Koray and Baris Manco) with the present, the critically acclaimed Amsterdam-based sextet have made waves around the world with their addictive and hypnotic groove. From their grammy-nominated second album Gece, to fifth album and Rough Trade’s 2023 album of the year Aşk, Atlin Gün’s unique and upbeat sound is nothing short of magical. They sadly couldn’t join us in 2021 so we’re over the moon to witness their world-class psychedelia live at Larmer Tree Gardens for 2024.
Website | Instagram | X | Facebook | Spotify
Since the early 2000s, Stereolab’s – who kicked off the first post-pandemic End of the Road Festival in 2021 with a stunning Thursday night headline set – frontwoman Lætitia Sadier has been a solo artist in her own right, releasing many stand-out albums as well as collaborating with the likes of Tyler, the Creator and Deerhoof. Her fifth album, 2024’s intricate and empathetic Rooting for Love showcases Sadier’s serene vocals and unabashedly political and humanist angle. A songwriter and musician for our times, Laetitia’s masterful pop presence is not to be missed.
Facebook | X | Instagram | Spotify
Recently heralded by Iggy Pop as his “favourite new band“, Lambrini Girls have been making waves with their unruly incendiary punk via the likes of tracks such as ‘Help Me I’m Gay’, ‘White Van’ and ‘Lads Lads Lads’. 2024 saw the release of killer single ‘God’s Country’, a thunderous political punk anthem. With their biting tongue-in-cheek lyrical style driving punk rhythm, Lambrini Girls are quickly becoming the stuff of legend, while their explosive, powerful, and somewhat unhinged live sets further solidify their rise to iconic status.
Facebook | X | Instagram | Spotify |
Joining forces with Debmaster, Nyege Nyege artist MC Yallah brings her signature style of scuzzy industrial punk and socially conscious hip-hop to Larmer Tree. Her first album on Kampala cult label Hakuna Kulala, Kubali, was listed in The Wire’s top 50 records of 2019 and put MC YAllah on the map as a shining light of East Africa’s fertile electronic dance music scene. MC Yallah & Debmaster sadly couldn’t last year but we’re overjoyed the stars have aligned for this one. It’s going to be mega.
Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
Drawing from house and dub music, to psychedelic rock and the avant-garde electronica of Laurie Anderson, Kaifeng-born, Vancouver-based Yu Su’s unconventional approach to both DJing and production has seen her tour the world and play at many festivals. With an interest in deep listening practices and ethnomusicology (which undeniably shines through in her immersive DJ sets.) Be transfixed by Yu Su’s eclectic curation of sounds that may or may not transcend time and space.
Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
Following in the footsteps of New York luminaries Talking Heads, Lydia Lunch and ESG with their disembodied vocals and cut-and-paste lyrics over groove-laden bass lines, NYC’s no-wave mainstays Gustaf have shared stages with the likes of Yard Act, Omni, and Bodega and even opened for Beck’s secret loft party! Having just released their secondalbum package pt 2 – dubbed by Far Out Magazine as “an existential crisis encapsulated in DIY post-punk” – Gustaf’s flair for maniacal post-punk / no-wave needs to be seen to be believed.
Website | Facebook | X | Instagram | Spotify
Since emerging in 2015, Sextile have been a party-provoking force on the LA underground with their EBM driven post-punk invocations. In 2023 they signed to Sacred Bones Records and released Push, recorded in Yucca Valley and a step up a notch from their previous releases, the album bounces and bops at the fringes of hardcore dance music, with the hallmarks of drum and bass, gabber and trance. A pulsating crash of post-punk and industrial dance music, Sextile’s set will be one toremember.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
