Groove Festival: Who’s Playing?

Just one more week until the Groove Festival hits Bray and we’re so very excited. Between Paloma Faith – who we interviewed last week – and the best-selling David Gray headlining it’s our musical spirit animal. Here we line up the rest of the acts perking up our antennae.

Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbot
Remember The Beautiful South? Immediate 1990s flashbacks for all. Songsmiths Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott are back together after some years apart with the album What Have We Become. Songwriter Paul has inflected the record with some modern social commentary – see titles such as One Man’s England – while Jacqui brings that gorgeous voice back to the table.

Jessica Sweetman
For one so young Jessica Sweetman is already making astounding industry connections. She’s played support for Keane, taken to the stage at Benicassim in Spain, her voice has appeared on dance tracks with DJ Andy Moor and Armin Van Buuren, and this summer Sweetman is sharing billing at festivals with stars such as Paolo Nutini , Goldfrapp and Ellie Goulding. This girl who began her career aged sixteen gigging in Pizza Express in on the ascent.

The Eskies
The Eskies single Fever is a romp and when it comes to live shows this band promise bearded musos, stomping and genuinely funny onstage banter. The music is pretty good too. This year sees the lads playing the Harbour Bay Stage, which is actually a boat. But on land. You’ll get it when you see it in the video below.

Cathy Davey
Cathy Davey’s platinum bob and birdlike voice have made her one of this island’s most distinctive artists. Her 2010 album, The Nameless, drew all the critical acclaim as well as plenty of awards. ?We’re crossing our fingers for performances of Sing For Your Supper and Little Red at this year’s Groove Festival.

Samuel Vas Y
Samuel Vas-Y describes himself as a ‘singer song scribbler? but he’s also a proper musician what with the release of his recent debut album, Tickly Teeth. Cathy Davey even features on the track Creeping and Crawling. Interesting fact – his song Millionaire of Hours was released in South Koreas and features in an advertisement for major Korean fashion label, Comodo Square.

Jeanne Sutton @jeannedesutun

See www.groovefestival.ie for more details and check out our competition to win a pair of tickets here.