Festival organizers are already busy at Meadow Brook Music Festival setting up for this Saturday. We are continuing to give our readers coverage on Laneway which profiles the artists on the bill and what you might expect to see from their sets on Saturday at St. Jerome’s first Laneway Festival USA. Today we look at five artists on the roster who have one important common tie — they have women in the band who take the stage by storm. Yesterday we took a look at amazing women such as Aluna Francis (AlunaGeorge), Lauren Mayberry (CHVRCHES), and Caroline Hjelt & Aino Jawo (Icona Pop). Today we continue with another group of women who will get you get you rocking, carry you away, and leave you in awe.
Haerts
- Taking the Roscoe Stage from 12:40-1:20 pm
Haerts are a 5-piece outfit from Brooklyn who are very new to the scene, but already drawing in listeners with a likeable, nostalgic sweetness that kicks off Laneway on a very good vibe. Nini Fabi has a voice that glows with every lyric she sings, set against a glossy instrumentation that if you close your eyes, could be playing in 1993 just as well as 2013. Haerts have not confirmed any set dates on a debut album yet, but after taking a listen to Laneway’s first artist of the day, you might be waiting with anticipation as well.
My Brightest Diamond
- Taking the Pavilion Stage from 1:35-2:20 pm
Shara Worden scores for Laneway right away for being the only artist on the lineup from Detroit who isn’t on the Movement/Ghostly Stage. Furthermore, her superb talents as a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist will treat her Laneway audience to a set filled with indie rock, chamber pop, folk, opera, and more. My Brightest Diamond does not just put on a concert — they put on an entire production. After working with fellow Michigander Sufjan Stevens and his Illinoisemakers project and going on tour with them as a cheerleading captain, Worden came back with the idea to develop My Brightest Diamond and record in the summer of 2006. Since then, My Brightest Diamond has impressed in person around the world, and we can expect the same with a hometown Laneway performance.
Warpaint
- Taking the Derrick Stage from 3:05-3:50 pm
Warpaint are four women from Los Angeles who craft psychedelic-laced indie rock with delicate vocals and full-bodied serpentine guitar goodness. Since their formation in 2004 they have release an acclaimed EP (Exquisite Corpse, 2007), as well as a full-length album (The Fool, 2010) of their artful sounds. Current members are Emily Kokal, Theresa Wayman, Jenny Lee Lindberg, and Stella Mozgawa, who replaced original drummer Shannyn Sossamon. They have acknowledged themselves that in their sound, they are going for an “underwater” feeling — a description that, if you’ve listened to Warpaint, puts together an accurate picture in echoey deep blues & greens.
Savages
- Taking the Derrick Stage from 4:45-5:30 pm
Savages broke out of London onto the music scene this past year injected with the attitude, talent, and gripping post-punk sensibilities that have made them one of the most praised and respected bands to come into indie rock. Jehnny Beth’s deep, passionate vocals roar over Gemma Thompson’s rough-in-all-the-right places guitar playing, Ayse Hassan’s throbbing bass and Fay Milton’s stormy drumming — watching Savages perform live is a submissive act, all we as an audience can do is shut up and let their powers take us over, and be better for it when we realize afterward what hit us. This can’t-miss set will begin on the Derrick Stage at 4:45 pm.
Solange
- Taking the Pavilion Stage from 6:35-7:20 pm
Solange may carry the “Knowles” last name, but don’t let that fool you — Solange has stepped out on her own with a retro, funk-infused R&B sound very apparent in her 2012 release True. Her infectiously upbeat stage presence, knack for bold styles, and soulful singing will give the crowd at Laneway a performance guaranteed to leave a smiling impression when it’s over. Solange has come a long way in her musical career since the very early 2000s, and now that she has come into her own style of poppy indie R&B, she can own it and show us all why her musical path lead her right here. Get down with Solange on the Pavilion Stage starting at 6:35 pm.
Only one day of artist profiles left to count down! Check back to Detroit Sounds Like This tomorrow for the last group of artists on the lineup and what you’ll expect for Saturday. Visit Laneway’s official website for even more.