BIGSOUND is the largest gathering of music industry heavyweights in the southern hemisphere and it will return this year for the first time in a live format since 2019, promising a “bigger than ever” event.
“We’re feeling from the industry far and wide that they’re itching to be back in rooms together and we couldn’t be more excited to get artists back on stages and industry back in their live element,” QMusic CEO Kris Stewart says.
Taking over the city’s Fortitude Valley from September 6th to 9th, BIGSOUND will celebrate 21 years of showcasing some of the future big names in Australian music as well as hosting some of the music world’s most influential speakers.
The nightly festival has previously showcased acts like Flume, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Gang of Youths, Lime Cordiale, Tash Sultana, DMA’S, A.B. Original, Ball Park Music, Courtney Barnett, Tones and I, The Jungle Giants, Thelma Plum, Vera Blue and Violent Soho, while the daytime conference has included Nick Cave, Tina Arena, Billy Bragg, Amanda Palmer, Andy King and Peter Garrett discussing the big issues facing Australia’s music industry.
This year’s event promises an overwhelming array of acts – over 180 of them – as well as the return of BIGSOUND Secret Shows at BIGSOUND After Midnight, and a raft of industry parties featuring some of the nation’s hottest acts today.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ has picked 10 acts to catch at BIGSOUND next week, in no particular order.
Name: C.O.F.F.I.N
Origin: Sydney, NSW
Children of Finland Fighting in Norway (C.O.F.F.I.N) are a four-piece hard rock band hailing from the ocean shores of Sydney, Australia. Forming in 2005 as schoolmates influenced by a huge love for music, skateboarding and a good-times-all-the-time attitude. Featuring a lead vocalist on drums, C.O.F.F.I.N recently supported Amyl & The Sniffers on their ‘Comfort To Me’ Australian tour.
Catch C.O.F.F.I.N:
Tuesday 6th September, King Lear’s Throne 11.40PM – 12.10AM
Thursday 8th September, The Zoo 9.50PM – 10.20PM
Name: Andrew Gurruwiwi Band
Origin: Yirrkala, NT.
Following hot on the heels of King Stingray, the Andrew Gurruwiwi Band are the next big musical act to burst out of Arnhem Land, NT. A high-energy, seven-piece funk band who’ve honed their chops on the beach at Birrtjimi and the dirt of Yirrkala. The band writes real funk jams in their native tongue, Yolngu Matha. Led by Andrew Gurruwiwi – a shy-but-extravagant, blind, keytar-wielding Yolngu elder who has a passion to make people dance while sharing his culture. The band will join the festivities at this year’s Queenscliff Music Festival in Victoria later this year.
Catch Andrew Gurruwiwi Band:
Wednesday 7th September, The Zoo 9.00PM – 9.30PM
Thursday 8th September, The Warehouse 9.50PM – 10.20PM
Name: Greta Stanley
Origin: Cairns, QLD
Few songwriters are prepared to be as vulnerably autobiographical as Greta Stanley – and even fewer possess her gift for evocative storytelling. Hailing from Mena Creek in Far North Queensland, Stanley draws inspiration from her life, sharing stories through her powerful and distinctive voice and raw poetry-style lyrics. With millions of streams and numerous festival appearances to her name, her sophomore album, Real Love in Real Life, was released in May this year. “I believe in something, magic and miracles,” she says. “I believe that love is fuel and our bodies they are vehicles.”
Catch Greta Stanley:
Thursday 8th September, The Zoo 10.40PM – 11.10PM
Name: BOY SODA
Origin: Sydney, NSW
In just a short period of time, BOY SODA has been propelled onto national and international radars; his music stands as an exciting moment within the new movement of Australian-bred hip-hop and R&B. After being picked by Converse to open for Dominic Fike in Los Angeles, BOY SODA turned his attention to the creation and release of his debut EP THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THINKING AND FEELING. The 23-year-old grabbed everyone’s attention with the release of his debut single, “LOVEU2BITS” in the midst of the pandemic, and his latest release “WILLY SHAKESPEARE” shows he isn’t going anywhere but up.
Catch BOY SODA:
Tuesday 6th September, Summa House 10.30PM – 11.00PM
Thursday 8th September, Ivory Tusk 10.00PM – 10.30PM
Name: Caroline & Claude
Origin: Sydney, NSW
Forced into pandemic-induced isolation together in mid-2020, Caroline & Claude started to make music, and soon realised they’d stumbled upon something special. The result is a harmony that’s unique and entirely theirs, and not unlike the one conjured when they sing together. Since their debut release “Stir the Pot” which garnered support from Triple J and BBC, the duo have been bringing their charm to audiences around Australia. Recently signed to Myriad Management alongside Peking Duk, Benson and Keli Holiday, the Adelaide-born, Sydney-bred siblings are preparing to release their new single, “Dreams”, next Friday.
Catch Caroline & Claude:
Tuesday 6th September, The Warehouse 9.00PM – 9.30PM
Wednesday 7th September, BLVD 11.20PM – 11.50PM
Name: Budjerah
Origin: Fingal Head, NSW
In the throes of the pandemic, Australia was introduced to the spectacular voice of Budjerah: a new, homegrown kind of R&B star. Since the release of his debut EP Conversations, which was produced by Matt Corby, the musical visionary has commenced his global assault. He most notably featuring on a remix of Ed Sheeran’s hit single “2Step” earlier this year, and wrapped up a hugely successful world tour. A Coodjinburra man from the Bundjalung nation, Budjerah is set to release his next single, the anthemic “Ready For The Sky”, this July.
Catch Budjerah:
Wednesday 7th September, Summa House 10.30PM – 11.00PM
Name: Queen P
Origin: Sydney, NSW
Speaking your mind with true expression and confidence is the core essence of Queen P. The South Sudanese Australian rapper and poet blurs the line between hip-hop, pop and R&B. Queen P – aka P-UniQue – grabbed the attention of national audiences when she supported Holy Holy on their ‘Hello My Beautiful World’ tour after appearing on their 2020 single, “Port Rd.”. Featuring impenetrable lyrics delivered in a spitfire fashion over futuristic, bass-heavy dance beats, Queen P writes from the heart and speaks her mind, spreading her message of empowerment to all “Queens of Colour”.
Catch Queen P:
Tuesday 6th September, The Zoo 9.00PM – 9.30PM
Name: Selfish Sons
Origin: Brisbane, QLD
Founded in Brisbane, Selfish Sons are a three-piece alternative band. Drawing upon rock music with pop sensibilities, the trio are renowned for their addictive noise and charismatic stage presence to match. After an explosive start to 2022, the band supported the likes of The Kid LAROI and Lil Wayne in the USA after the release of their latest EP Secondhand Emotion. Delivering an eclectic amalgam of rock/pop nostalgia straight from the early 2000s, Selfish Sons are currently adding the finishing touches to new music, with plans for Australian and international tours expected to be announced soon.
Catch Selfish Sons:
Tuesday 6th September, The Brightside Outdoors 10.50PM – 11.20PM
Wednesday 7th September, The Prince Consort Hotel 10.50PM – 11.20PM
Name: Greatest Hits
Origin: Gold Coast, QLD
Blending ’70s groove, sunshine pop, and neo-psych with sassy lyrical sarcasm, Greatest Hits is the project of Australian artist Ryan Cooper, and a collection of friends from around the globe – from the North of England to the South of France, LA to Nashville – who came together somewhat “accidentally” on the east coast of Australia. Tackling failure, identity, and growing up, in a light, and often dismissive way, the band dropped their debut EP Volume One in 2020, following it up in 2021 with a series of shows supporting King Stingray.
Catch Greatest Hits:
Tuesday 6th September, Ivory Tusk 10.00PM – 10.30PM
Thursday 8th September, Black Bear Lodge 11.30PM – 12.00AM
Name: Woodes
Origin: Melbourne, VIC
Woodes has refined her sound into one of Australia’s most captivating soundscapes, creating universes within each release, intertweaving her love for music, visual art, fashion and beyond. Woodes is a platinum songwriter signed to Universal Music Publishing Group & has appeared in soundtracks for Netflix, Vogue and hit American TV series, The Bold Type. She launched her first album in collaboration with Minecraft and Twitch, spending hours creating immersive virtual environments with fans and bringing a whole new dimension to her ‘Crystal Ball’. 2022 sees the launch of Woodes’ new chapter – a new record, a fresh perspective and a new world to create.
Catch Woodes:
Tuesday 6th September, The Outpost 11.30PM – 12.00AM
Name: Banjo Lucia
Origin: Fremantle, WA
Banjo Lucia is a passionate singer-songwriter steeped in a deep love for the craft and tradition, with an ability to turn mundane details into profound familiarity and transport the listener into the centre of her experience as if it was their own. The metamorphosis of this is evident in her debut EP Peccadilloes, a collection of songs that detail various intimate facets of her own experience with grief, love and growth. Hailing from one of Australia’s most prominent musical families, Lucia has drawn inspiration from the likes of Frank Ocean, Björk and Julia Jacklin, and brings both vulnerability and strength to every song she creates.
Catch Banjo Lucia:
Wednesday 7th September, Black Bear Lodge 9.00PM – 9.30PM
Thursday 8th September, Blute’s Bar 8.00PM – 8.30PM
