ELECTRIC PICNIC, Ireland's biggest musical festival, returns next week, providing festival-goers with dozens of acts to watch across the weekend.
70,000 people are expected to descend upon Stradbally in Co Laois for the festival which hasn't taken place since 2019 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
World-renowned and home-grown acts are taking to the main stage, with smaller stages playing host to live podcasts, theatre and comedy.
Here are the Irish Post's top ten picks for the festival across the weekend, in no particular order.
Wolf Alice
Wolf Alice are a Mercury award-winning alternative rock band from London fronted by singer Ellie Rowsell. First formed in 2010, they have gone on to release three albums, the second of which Visions of a Life debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart and received universal acclaim from music critics. It was ranked among the best albums in several end-of-year lists and won them the 2018 Mercury Prize.
In June 2021, the band released their third album Blue Weekend, and went on to win the 2022 Brit Award for British Group. They have this year so far played at Latitude Festival, Glastonbury, and will play in Belfast prior to Electric Picnic.
Joy Crookes
Joy Crooke is a 23-year-old singer-songwriter from south London, who has an Irish connection through her father who comes from Dublin. She was nominated for the Rising Star Award at the 2020 Brit Awards, and her debut album Skin reached the top five in the UK upon its release in October 2021.
Her music is classified as Neo-soul and R&B, with jazz and blues influences. She cites Marin Gaye, The Pogues, Sinead O'Connor and Kendrick Lamar as some of the names incorporated with her first experiences of music.
Dylan Moran
Dylan Moran stars in the new seriesDylan Moran is an Irish comedian, writer and actor who will be performing at the Comedy Arena at Electric Picnic. He has starred in films such as Shaun of the Dead and Run Fatboy Run, but is probably most well-known for his Channel 4 sitcom Black Books.
It was announced earlier this year that his new comedy series Stuck will be launched on BBC2 and BBC iPlayer later this year.
Rina Sawayama
Rina Sawayama is a Japanese-British singer songwriter who emigrated to London aged five with her mother. She released her first EP in 2017, which was followed up by her debut album Sawayama in 2020. The album crosses genres including dance, pop and rock and has gained her an avid online following.
In late July 2020, Sawayama made a public tweet about her ineligibility to be nominated for major British music awards, such as the Mercury Prize and BRIT Awards, due to the fact that she does not hold British citizenship. Following an online campaign, the rules changed allowing her and other artists in similar positions to be nominated.
Her second album Hold the Girl, which she said has influences of Irish band The Corrs, is released just one week after Electric Picnic, so expect plenty of new material during her performance. She has also sold out one date at the O2 in Dublin, with tickets for another date also currently on sale.
Khruangbin
Khruangbin is an American trio hailing from Texas comprising of Laura Lee on bass, Mark Speer on guitar, and Donald "DJ" Johnson Jr. on drums. The band is known for blending global music influences, such as classic soul, dub, rock and psychedelia, and are sure to put on a visual spectacle spanning songs from their three studio albums.
Little Simz
A 28-year-old rapper and singer from Islington, Little Simz is coming fresh off a Brit Award for Best New Artist following the release of her fourth album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. The album fuses rap with soul and afrobeat and received critical acclaim upon its release in September 2021.
The album reached No.4 on the UK Albums Chart, and became her highest charting and most successful to date. Little Simz had been booked for the 2020 iteration of the festival, so Irish R&B fans are sure to flock to her performance in their droves.
For those who are fans of the Netflix reboot of Top Boy, Little Simz (real name Simbiatu Abisola Abiola) will also be recognised as playing the role of Shelley.
Tame Impala
Tame Impala is the psychedelic music project of Australian multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker, which adds several more musicians to the lineup as a touring act. The group has been nominated for four Grammy awards, and won the 2016 Brit Award for Best International Group.
Music influences for Parker include 1960s and 1970s psychedelic rock, electronic and lo-fi, and their most famous song The Less I Know the Better has been certified platinum in the UK, and five times platinum in Australia.
The group is playing the main stage on Saturday night following Irish pop band Picture This, which are sure to draw a large crowd of their own.
My Therapist Ghosted Me
My Therapist Ghosted Me is the podcast from the minds of Irish comedian Joanne McNally and TV personality and presenter Vogue Williams. Since its launch in April 2021, the pair have amassed a loyal following who listen in weekly for their real-life awkward story telling and honest advice.
They have taken the podcast on tour to sold-out theatres, and are set to have a string of dates in the Gaeity in Dublin in 2023.
Below is a clip of the pair on the Tommy Tiernan Show, where they explain how they became friends and how the podcast started.
Fred Again
Fred John Philip Gibson, known professionally as Fred Again, is a British singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and remixer.
He has worked with a range on internationally renowned artists including FKA Twigs, Ed Sheeran Eminem and Halsey, and won Producer of the Year at the Brit Awards 2020. This one will appeal to partygoers who want to dance into the early hours, with Fred sure to blend a variety of electronic and dance genres.
Check out a clip from his recent Boiler Room debut below for a taste of what's to come:
unreal levels #boilerroom #fredagain pic.twitter.com/8l4Mv4KEk2
— ozkan (@gunsnguller) August 28, 2022
Emma Doran
Emma Doran is a comedian and actor who has built up an online following in recent years for her skits which delve into everything ranging from Irish cultural staples like the Rose of Tralee and typical phone calls everyone has had.
Last year she quit her day job to pursue comedy as a career, and has since toured all over the country and appeared on various TV and radio shows.
Below is her most recent online skit that pokes fun at the Rose of Tralee, which took place this week.
When I was a Rose of Tralee @lordstradbally 🎥 pic.twitter.com/ItrM1B2ooh
— Emma Doran Comedian (@EmmaLouDoran) August 22, 2022
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