Playlist of the Week: Summer Festival Undercard Bands
As the heat of July rolls in, so does the peak of the summer festival season. While the headliners may be what draw the crowd to shows, the undercard bands can be what make every festival unique. However, these lesser-known bands are often overlooked. From local festivals such as Bumbershoot and Capitol Hill Block Party to concert series across the world, this summer’s festival undercard lineups feature some incredibly talented performers. This playlist is devoted to giving a little credit to the undercard artists filling this summer’s festival line-ups.
1. “Golden Days” — Whitney
Indie-rock band Whitney hails from Chicago, Illinois. The band released its debut album “Light Upon the Lake” in June of last year. Whitney is hitting festivals such as Milwaukee's Summerfest and Lollapalooza. Catch them at Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle on July 22.
2. “Fill in the Blank” — Car Seat Headrest
While the band formed in Virginia, Car Seat Headrest currently is based out of Seattle. With 12 studio albums since 2010, the indie-rock band has been making its way up festival line-ups for a few years. “Fill in the Blank” is off of the 2016 album “Teens of Denial.” Car Seat Headrest is playing Summerfest and Lollapalooza this summer.
3. “Archie, Marry Me” — Alvvays
Alvvays (pronounced like “always”) is an indie-pop band that formed in Toronto, Canada in 2011. The band, lead by female singer-songwriter Molly Rankin, is scheduled to perform at The End of the Road Festival in the UK and Lollapalooza.
4. “Judy French” — White Reaper
White Reaper, a punk band from Kentucky, released its newest album “The World’s Best American Band” in April of this year. The band will take the stage at Project Pabst in Portland on Aug. 26 and at Bumbershoot on Sept. 3.
5. “Queen” — Flint Eastwood
Flint Eastwood, or, as she is also known off the stage, Jax Anderson, is a solo artist from Detroit, Michigan. She is signed to Neon Gold Records, the same label as other female pop performers such as Marina & the Diamonds and Charli XCX. Her newest project, “Broke Royalty” was released in April of this year. She will appear at Summerfest and Lincoln Calling Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska.
6. “Diddy Pop” (ft. Raury & Cam O'bi) — Noname
Noname is the stage name for hip-hop artist and rapper Fatimah Warner. She is based out of Chicago. She appeared on the track “Lost” from Chance the Rapper’s mixtape “Acid Rap.” Noname will be performing at many festivals this summer including Capitol Hill Block Party, Osheaga Festival, Lollapalooza, FYF Festival and Panorama Festival.
7. “Stay Useless” — Cloud Nothings
Cloud Nothings is a new age rock band hailing from Cleveland, Ohio. The group released its newest album, “Life Without Sound” in January of this year. Cloud Nothings made it onto the line-ups of several summer festivals including Osheaga in Montreal, Panorama Festival in New York and Lollapalooza. You can also catch them on July 23 on the mainstage at Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle.
8. “On + Off” — Maggie Rogers
Maggie Rogers is a songwriter and performer from Brooklyn, New York. She gained recognition from Pharrell Williams after she performed in a master class at NYU, spurring on her music career. Her soft sounds can be heard at Lollapalooza, Osheaga Festival, and the Citadel Festival in London.
9. “Show You the Way” — Thundercat
Thundercat is a Grammy winning singer and bass player who incorporates elements of funk, jazz, and R&B into his music. He gained popularity after he contributed to rapper Kendrick Lamar’s acclaimed album “To Pimp a Butterfly.” He will be performing at Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco and on July 21 at Capitol Hill Block Party.
10. “River” — Bishop Briggs
Bishop Briggs is a Los Angeles based singer and songwriter. Her name is inspired by the Scottish town where her parents grew up: Bishopbriggs. She played Hangout Fest in Gulf Shores, Alabama, earlier this spring and is slated to perform at Panorama Festival in New York this summer.
11. “Good as Hell” — Lizzo
Lizzo is an alternative hip-hop performer from Houston, Texas. “Good as Hell” appears on her newest EP “Coconut Oil”, released in October of 2016. She will be performing at Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle on July 22 and Project Pabst in Portland on Aug 26.
12. “NoLo” — Grace Mitchell
Grace Mitchell is a singer from Eugene, Oregon. The 19-year-old pop performer plays the keyboard, drums and guitar. “NoLo” comes off her second EP “Raceday.” She will appear at Osheaga Festival, Lollapalooza and Outside Lands.
