The Adelaide leg of Laneway Festival is nearly upon us. This year’s line up has a real emphasis on quality homegrown music. Here are five Australian acts that are the Upside News top picks to catch at Hart’s Mill, Port Adelaide on Friday February 8:

Middle Kids: With its first rate song-craft, Lost Friends was one of our favourite records of 2018, which also snared the J Award for Australian Album of the Year. Middle Kids are in fine form and also creating quite a impact overseas right now. Playing the sunset slot next to the Port River, this could be something quite special indeed.

 

Gang of Youths: Laneway marks the end of the band’s mammoth touring efforts on the back of their stellar 2017 release (and Upside album of the year) Go Farther In Lightness, with Gang of Youths announcing that Laneway will be their final Australian shows for some time. And great to have an Australian act headlining the festival this year! (photo credit above: John Goodridge)

Courtney Barnett: The last time Courtney Barnett played Laneway four years ago, she was an up-and-coming act scheduled for a mid afternoon slot; this year she plays at 8:55pm as one of the festival’s main draw cards. It really has been a big few years for the singer-songwriter, whose 2018 album Tell Me How You Really Feel is her best work to date.

Baker Boy: One of the real talking points from last year’s WOMADelaide, anyone who caught Baker Boy’s set there will know he can really own a festival stage. The rising hip-hop star, who sings in both Yolngu Matha and English, is creating a huge buzz at the moment – all before he’s released a debut album.

Skeggs: My Own Mess, the debut album from Byron Bay garage punk trio Skeggs, was another musical highlight of 2018. They maybe in the early stages of their career, but are already veterans of the festival circuit, having played Splendour in the Grass, Groovin’ the Moo and Sounds of Suburbs. Catch Skeggs’ Laweway performance at 5:35pm on the Hart’s Mill Stage.

Laneway kicks off at 11:35am on Friday February 8 at Hart’s Mill, Port Adelaide, with Adelaide punk pop outfit Wing Defence, and continues on for more than 12 hours. Stay tuned for our review and photo gallery.

For all event details and tickets click here.

Written by Matthew Trainor

Photos by Tessa Manning