The next big thing? 10 acts to catch at Live at Leeds

Fetch your portable charger and adjust your beer goggles…festival season is nearly upon us once more, and with it comes the pressure to make the most out of your hard-earned ticket, discovering new bands as well as enjoying old favourites.

Now in its twelfth year, Live At Leeds has always been an affordable portal into uncovering the best in new music, taking in over 100 acts across nearly all of the city’s music venues. Considering it’s provided early stages to the likes of Ed Sheeran, The 1975 and Mumford & Sons, you’re never too far away from the headline acts of tomorrow.

In the spirit of ‘the next big thing’, here are ten acts on this year’s line-up that we reckon are on the rise…

HalfNoise | 12.30pm | Dr Martens Second Stage, Brudenell Community Room

Headed up by Zac Farro - the drummer in Paramore - HalfNoise takes the pop-punk band’s day-glo stylings and turns them into something a little more psychedelic, with serious seventies glam. Spin Scooby’s In The Back for tambourine-shaking silliness, or new track Who Could You Be for Starsky & Hutch vibes. 

For fans of…Tame Impala, Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Rachel Chinouriri | 2.30pm | Dr Martens Second Stage, Brudenell Community Room

A twenty-year-old from Croydon, Rachel Chinouriri’s take on upbeat pop carries the direct energy of London’s eclectic musical influence, with hints of soul and RnB in her soothing vocals and jazzy guitar. A self-confessed romantic, her songs investigate the trials and tribulations of young love, with Riptide being the perfect introduction to her work.

For fans of…Mahalia, Lianne La Havas

Talkboy | 3.30pm | Yorkshire Music Forum Stage, HIFI

Leeds’ very-own Talkboy are a must-see, not just for the fact they are unlikely to be playing stages this small for long. With six musicians in their arsenal, they offer up pretty melodies in as much abundance as fist-pumping guitars.

For fans of…The Beautiful South, Los Campesinos!

Thyla | 4pm | BBC Introducing Stage, Oporto 

Good old-fashioned indie rock and roll, Brighton quartet Thyla pay homage to the nineties with their swooning, shoe-gazing sound. Earmarked as one of NME’s essential acts for 2018, they’ll be playing hit-worthy cuts from their latest EP What’s On Your Mind.

For fans of…Wolf Alice, Anteros

WhenYoung | 6pm | Farah Stage, Leeds University Union Refectory

With debut record Reasons to Dream arriving on 24 May, Live At Leeds is the perfect opportunity to get ahead of the curve with WhenYoung. Sharing the same Irish lilt as the Cranberries, they flit between delicate, fingerpicked ballads and high-octane guitar pop, making for a fun and well-paced live show.

For fans of…The Vaccines, The Big Moon

Beabadoobee | 6.30pm | The Social

With the delicate voice of a cartoon character, Beabadoobee is a singer-songwriter for the tumblr generation, describing herself as ‘slacker folk’. Swot up on highlight Art Class, a softly-spoken ode to a school crush that feels endearingly familiar. 

For fans of…Kississippi, Ariel Pink

Sports Team | 7.15pm | Dork Stage, The Wardrobe

Having met at Cambridge University, self-deprecating four-piece Sports Team offer up a wry take on life in British suburbia, with the same social commentary normally observed in the North. Check out Margate to see why they’re highly-coveted by the likes of Radio 1 and Vice.

For fans of…Shame, Pulp

Ibibio Sound Machine | 8pm | Momentum & Independent Stage, Leeds Beckett SU

An artistic collective in the truest sense of the word, Ibibio Sound Machine are heavily inspired by seventies West African Disco in both music and on-stage styling. Join their colourful party as they celebrate their latest record Doko Mien, described by The Guardian as ‘a new era of borderless pop’.

For fans of…Sons of Kemet, Ezra Collective

Indoor Pets | 10pm | Dr Martens Boot Room, Brudenell Social Club

Despite hailing from Kent, Indoor Pets share much more in common with the American radio-rock of the early 2000s, with soaring choruses and American Pie-worthy loser lyrics. Debut album Be Content is all killer, no filler, with a non-stop energy that promises to be one of the festival’s live highlights.

For fans of…Spring King, Weezer 

Easy Life | 11.15pm | Dr Martens Boot Room, Brudenell Social Club

The best thing to come out of Leicester since Kasabian, this five-piece blur the lines between indie and RnB, with occasional unexpected turns into funky brass. A guaranteed crowd-pleaser, Nightmares is their most popular song to date, an infectious melody you’ll be humming days later.

For fans of…The Magic Gang, Jamie T

Live At Leeds takes place citywide on Saturday 4 May. Tickets from £38 at liveatleeds.seetickets.com