WIDE DAYS returns this week with another stellar line-up of panels, speakers, networking opportunities and live showcases. Since its launch in 2010, the award-winning event has become the biggest of its kind in Scotland and now attracts an exciting array of industry figureheads, delegates and speakers from all over the UK and further afield.
Taking place in Teviot Row House on Friday (20th April) followed by more networking events on Saturday (21st April), this year’s conference will give attendees a chance to hear from a number of record labels, booking agencies and publishing companies on both a local and international level. For those looking for employment in the music industry, it’s a brilliant chance to learn from those in the know. Friday’s programme will host the likes of Help Musicians UK, PRS, PPL, Vic Galloway, Beggars, EmuBands, Killer B Music and Sony Music with panel discussions covering a whole range of topics such as ‘50/50 Festivals’, ‘Staying Healthy on Tour’, ‘New Label Models’ and ‘Streaming to Success’. There will also be a valuable opportunity for artists to have their music critiqued by a panel of industry experts.
A renowned platform for burgeoning artists around the country, Friday evening will see some of Scotland’s most exciting talent perform to a number of venues across the city including the Teviot Debating Hall, La Belle Angele and The Mash House. Known to have provided an early springboard for the likes of Be Charlotte, Honeyblood, Catholic Action, C Duncan, Fatherson and more over the years, this year’s highly sought-after showcase slots were carefully selected from over 200 applicants. Featuring a myriad of genres and styles including jazz, indie, punk and pop, this year’s line-up is a diverse snapshot of Scotland’s widely eclectic scene and each of the seven acts will hope to make a decidedly positive impact in front of a host of industry insiders and new music fans alike. Check out our rundown of the artists below.
Find ticket information and how you can sign up for the free showcases on the official website here.
CRYSTAL
CRYSTAL first jumped into the spotlight when they beat off hundreds of competitors to support Paolo Nutini at one of his massive Hogmanay shows in 2016. Since then the young Glasgow outfit have spent a significant amount of time honing their craft, showing heaps of promise with one impressive gig after another. Recent singles ‘Sugar Sweet’, an infectious blend of jagged grungy guitars, spiky vocals and quirky synths, and the equally addictive ‘Heaven’ suggest that there’s a lot more exciting things to come from the four-piece.
GRAHAM COSTELLO’S STRATA
Taking to the stage in the Teviot Debating Hall, it’ll be particularly exciting to see Graham Costello’s STRATA deliver one of their infamous improvised performances. Working from a framework composed by founder Costello, a first-class graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the group have become known for their vital and fresh expressions in jazz with performances that range from delicate and meditative to unhinged and intense. Featuring some of the nation’s finest young jazz musicians, the group have already won coveted slots at the Glasgow Jazz Festival and BBC Radio Scotland’s Jazz Nights at the Quay.
EDWIN ORGAN
Undoubtedly one of the most brazenly original artists this country has to offer, Edwin Organ’s rather leftfield approach to his craft has certainly attracted a great deal of interest in recent months. Led by its eccentric and infectious title track, his debut EP Missing The T was a wonderfully colourful amalgamation of fidgety rhythms, wobbly synths and bewitching vocals. With slots at T in the Park, Tenement Trail and Electric Fields already under his belt, he is sure to make a dazzling impact.
ZOE GRAHAM
A seasoned gig veteran in and around Glasgow’s local live scene, it is time that Zoe Graham’s enviable talents receive the kind of attention they so rightly deserve. With a number of high profile support slots already under her belt with the likes of Rae Morris and Brooks Matthews, the young singer-songwriter is starting to forge a promising reputation for her deft songwriting skills, powerful vocals and vivid lyricism. Pulling from a diverse range of influences such as Sufjan Stevens, Laura Marling and KT Tunstall, the singer is known to hold a room to a standstill with her uniquely poignant creations.
RASCALTON
Since winning our Tenement Trail competition in 2016, Rascalton have continued to soar to new and exciting heights. In the past 12 months, the four-piece have toured extensively around the UK, sold out gigs in Glasgow and Edinburgh, gained a series of coveted support slots and have signed to well-known booking agency 13 Artists. Now at the forefront of Glasgow’s thriving punk scene, the band preparing to bring out their hotly anticipated debut EP release. With a formidable frontman in Jack Wyles, the band are known to provoke a frenzied response at every live show and Wide Days should be no different.
LUCIA
Having already made a striking impression at one of the biggest music showcases in the world in SXSW earlier this year in Austin, Texas, LUCIA’s performance at La Belle Angele will undoubtedly further reinforce the increasingly popular notion that she is one of Scotland’s most promising young talents. Boasting an enviable catalogue of material which draws from punchy garage rock and swooning pop of the sixties, her songwriting prowess is now matched by her formidable stage presence. With a number of huge festival slots lined up throughout the year, this will be an opportunity to catch the frontwoman and her equally talented band before they inevitably hit the big time.
WUH OH
Fuelled by boundless creativity and an infectious enthusiasm for his craft, Glasgow producer Peter Ferguson is truly blossoming under the Wuh Oh moniker. Fusing a colourful array of sounds and styles together in brilliantly eccentric fashion, Wuh Oh’s live shows are known to be utterly euphoric and mesmerising all at once. Nothing is off limits for the talented producer who experiments with time signatures, jazzy rhythms and vibrant samples to get crowds on their feet and dancing. A favourite on BBC Radio Scotland, he has already played the likes of TRNSMT, Tenement Trail and Electric Fields, he will be unmissable on Friday night.
