Un-convention continues into the evening with a live showcase, featuring…
Calva Louise:
Driven by vocalist and guitarist Jess’s creative vision, CALVA LOUISE has just released their most multifaceted work to date, a 13 track album where their eclectic sound provides a mesmerising introduction to an alternate reality. EUPHORIC is a molotov cocktail, encompassing ambitious songwriting and searing guitar hooks that shows a proposal influenced by graphic novels and Sci-Fi movies.
Accompanied by a 45 minutes animation movie, created by Jess using softwares such as Blender and After Effects, the euphoric experience will continue through the second volume of the graphic novel also created by Jess.
The band started supporting artists like Razorlight, Albert Hammond Jr. and Highly Suspect. Since the beginning, their songs have found heavy rotation across BBC1 with Jack Saunders, Huw Stephens, Annie Mac and Abbie McCarthy; BBC6 Music with Lauren Laverne, Steve Lamacq, Shaun Keaveny and the legendary Iggy Pop; X-posure with John Kennedy and also a live session at BBC Maida Vale Studios.
The Zangwills:
The Zangwills formed in Chester in May 2017. They have played national headlines dates as far apart as Edinburgh and Portsmouth, and their supports have included artists as diverse as Yungblud and The Charlatans.
Several music journalists and photographers were challenged to suggest whose fans they might appeal to. A consensus was reached that ‘early Arctic Monkeys’ would be a good fit. Luckily, the band does cite the Arctic’s amongst their influences, along with The Cure, Pearl Jam, The Smiths and The Strokes. Though the question can still cause a lively debate.
The four-piece quickly gained a reputation for their strong live sets. With an enthusiastic following, their last two Manchester dates at Deaf Institute (Sept 2019) and Academy 3 (Feb 2020) were sold-out.
Festival appearances have included Dot 2 Dot, Focus Wales, Sound City and a Saturday Mainstage appearance at Wychwood Festival 2020 alongside ABC.
Cariss Auburn:
Wolverhampton native Cariss Auburn represents some of the most exciting alt-R&B coming out of the UK. From earning comparisons to FKA Twigs to a “Song of the Day” title from The Line of Best Fit, Cariss’ latest releases, culminating with EP ‘Refraction,’ have garnered praise from the likes of Notion, COLORS, gal-dem, DORK, Refinery 29 and many more.
2021 saw Cariss receive continued support from Spotify and gain her first spins on BBC Radio 1, BBC 1XTRA and BBC6 Music. Steadily growing confidence in her effortlessly unique sound, underpinned by universal emotion, Cariss has also proved to be a truly captivating live performer with a standout debut festival performance at Liverpool Sound City.
She starts this year in collaboration with Dr. Martens on fan-favourite single ‘Daydream’ for their #TeamUpOnTheTrack initiative on Instagram. New single ‘Fantasy’ is an 80s funk-soaked rejection of loneliness.