Kiwi-born Lorde rivals Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry. Chart success: Kiwi-born Lorde rivals Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry. Photo: Rachel Murdolo
St Jerome's Laneway Festival is the so hipster-it-hurts event on the music calendar, famous for obscure but talented acts headed for big things.
But the lineup for the 2014 event features several names most music fans will already know - most notably Kiwi sensation Lorde.
The 16-year-old (real name Ella Yelich-O'Connor) currently sits at No.3 behind Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry with her ubiquitous single Royals on the most mainstream chart in the world, the US Billboard 100. She also currently top of the US iTunes chart.
Jagwar Ma: Jono Ma (left) and Gabriel Winterfield. Jagwar Ma: Jono Ma (left) and Gabriel Winterfield. Photo: Edwina Pickles
The popularity of acts on the Laneway lineup doesn't stop there; American all-girl band Haim, one of the hottest acts on the Northern Hemisphere festival circuit also features, as does Sydney electro-rock trio Jagwar Ma (which wowed the UK this year), Melbourne troubadour Vance Joy and Sydney bands Cloud Control and ARIA-award winners the Jezabels - all of whom have scored chart success recent times.
Advertisement
The rest of the taste-making Laneway line-up features plenty of names unfamiliar to the broader public that are either perennial underground favourites (such as Melbourne's Dick Diver, US all-girl indie band Warpaint, Scots Frightened Rabbit and Kiwi act Unknown Mortal Orchestra) or much-hyped bands they may hear much more about soon, including Scottish synth-pop trio Chrvches and all-girl post-punk act Savages.
As strong as Laneway's lineup is, it's a far cry from the stadium-fillers on the bills of Soundwave and the Big Day Out or the crusty legends of Bluesfest, but organisers can be confident of selling all their tickets, which is no mean feat with the festival calendar so overcrowded.
Cloud Control Cloud Control.
"We're exceptionally proud of this year's line­up," says Laneway's programming director and co-­founder Danny Rogers.
"As usual, the artists have been chosen on the strength of their music and their ability to deliver an insanely great live show. It's why we couldn't resist bringing a few international acts back and it’s why we are so thrilled to introduce you to some of the most exciting new artists this side of the world has seen for the very first time."
St Jerome's Laneway Festival is staged in Singapore (January 25, The Meadow, Gardens by the bay); Auckland (January 27, Silo Park); Brisbane (January 31, Fortitude Valley); Melbourne (February 1, Footscray Community Arts Centre & Rivers' Edge); Sydney (February 2, Sydney College of the Arts at Rozelle); Adelaide (February 7, Harts Mill Port Adelaide) and Fremantle (February 8, Esplanade Park & West End). Presale tickets are on sale on Monday September 30 and general sales stat next Thursday October 3 at 9am. For details go to lanewayfestival.com