Summer Sundae Weekender 2nd Announcement

Hot on the heels of confirming the best in new talent (Mumford & Sons, Local Natives) and the finest established artists (Tinchy Stryder, The Go! Team, The Sunshine Underground), not to mention the stonewall legends that are Mark E Smith’s The Fall, Summer Sundae Weekender is delighted to announce the next set of exciting & eclectic additions for this year’s festival.  That’s not nearly all - Oh no! - Summer Sundae is also delighted to announce that influential music-website/zine/community Drowned in Sound will be taking ownership of De Montfort Hall Indoor Stage on Sunday 15th August. Add to that news that Summer Sundae will be currating a stage at The Great Escape on the 13th May (@ Brighton’s The Spiegel Parlour) and that the Early Bird ticket offer has been extended over Easter and now expires 6th April (making it a great Easter present that isn't of the chocolate variety), It’s hard not to agree that this year’s festival is becoming the most eagerly anticipated yet!

So without further ado, the new additions:  
The first act to be added to the bill is Rhode Island’s The Low Anthem, following the re-issue of their breakthrough album ‘Oh My God, Charlie Darwin’ on Bella Union, their unique blend of Americana, which embraces blues, rock and gospel and employs everything from pump organs to zither, is truly mesmeric.  

As Summer Sundae Weekender celebrates its 10th year – theyr are inviting some of the best acts favourite acts from the past decade.  In this announcement they re-introduce Turin Brakes, who first wowed the crowds at De Montfort Hall’s inaugural event in 2001 with tracks from their Mercury nominated Optimist LP. Talismanic Mancunian songwriter Liam Frost meanwhile will be making his first appearance here since in 2005 - now working with likes of Ed Harcourt and Martha Wainwright, his whiskey soaked songs of bar romance are heartbreaking and brilliant in equal measure. Equally as talented are the spellbinding Tunng whose unique blend of Folk-tronica has propelled the band to sold out tours, mass critical acclaim and a status as festival MUST-sees. The veterans line up is completed by Glaswegian experimentalist post rockers Errors and the ‘thrilling & inspiring’ (Q Magazine) post rock of Selkirk’s Frightened Rabbit who will both be appearing on the Drowned In Sound Stage.  

The Drowned in Sound Stage where DIS will be celebrating their 10th Anniversary with a super eclectic lineup. Topping the bill are The Futureheads who have steadfastly become national treasures (see NME’s single of the year ‘Hounds of Love’) and with a new album due in April they are sure to be top of their festival game come August. Alongside the aforementioned Frightened Rabbit and Errors, indie-disco favourites Los Campesinos!  complete a rather heroic and befitting line up so far for one of the UK’s most discerning independent music website’s stage at one of the UK’s most discerning independent festivals.

Summer Sundae Weekender wouldn’t be Summer Sundae Weekender without brilliant new zeitgeist chasing acts, and joining the likes of Mumford & Sons and Local Natives are two bands that are true success stories of 2009 – Fanfarlo whose debut album Reservoir, has slowly built up a head of speed to become a cult classic and last year’s Mercury nominated The Invisible. Another talent meanwhile, who spent most of 2009 breaking America is folk troubadour and band Johnny Flynn and The Sussex Wit, whose heartbreaking and wistful songs went down a storm over the pond. Luckily he’ll be back in UK and more specifically Leicestershire, come August.  

As mentioned earlier, Summer Sundae Weekender has packed her overnight bag, bucket and spade and is taking a day trip to the Brighton seaside for The Great Escape, where Summer Sundae is hosting a stage on 13th May at The Spiegel Parlour. Two acts that will be performing at both Brighton and Leicester are recently turned electric Mercury nominated songsmith Fionn Regan and the haunting Belgian songstress Isbells, who was talent spotted by festival organisers at Eurosonic festival. And even if you aren’t able to make Summer Sundae’s Stage at the Great Escape this year - fear not - Summer Sundae Weekender is bringing the seaside to the beautific surrounds of De Montfort Hall. Throughout the site a Traditional Seaside theme will prevail so patrons can expect the relive a seaside from yesteryear.  
Regional acts Swimming, Autohype, Rugosa Nevada will be performing and the bill is completed by the mercurial noise of The Megaphonic Thrift who hail from Bergen. As part of the Association of Independent Festivals’ new initiative, Twin Festivals: A Cultural Exchange, twinning Summer Sundae with Bergenfest, Bergen in Norway, Summer Sundae is delighted to invite over one of the twin festival town’s most exciting current bands.