Five of Bushstock's success stories

18 May 2015, 17:00 | Written by Laurence Day

(News)

(Daughter) (Chlöe Howl) (Nadine Shah) (The Staves) (Thumpers)

Bushstock 2015 is roughly a month away, so we thought that we'd take a look at some of its most memorable performers over the half decade its been with us, as well as looking ahead to what to get excited about this year.

The festival is a Shangri-La of new music, with artists often on the cusp of greatness as they perform - it's been kind of a barometer for the pop landscape for the year ahead, with many an act springing to stardom post Bushstock.

While careers weren't necessarily solely made in the hallowed streets of West London, they certainly weren't harmed, and a heap of musicians have gone down in the festival's history as 'I was there' moments.

2015: Nadine Shah

Nadine Shah has just released her latest record Fool - you can read our review here. 2015 marks the post-punk multi-instrumentalist grace Bushstock for the first time, on the back of an acclaimed sophomore LP and white-hot live show. If you're into dark, emotional, brooding rock and serrated guitar brutality, make sure to check her out.

Speaking about her upcoming stint at the fest, Shah said: "It looks a great festival. Living in London it means I also get to sleep in my own bed that night! I haven't seen Villagers play live in a long time so I'm mostly looking forward to seeing those guys. Sophie Jameson, if you've not come across her before, is a must see too. Me and my band love playing in London so expect a high energy show from us lot."

2014: Chloe Howl

Last year was huge for pop sensation Chloe Howl. She was tipped as a One To Watch by many outlets, including the BBC who slotted her into the BBC Sound Of 2014 poll, and the BRIT Awards, who shortlisted her for the Critics' Choice prize. Her summer was spent festivalling around a great many locations, including Glastonbury and Isle Of Wight, and of course Bushstock, where she played Bush Hall while celebrating the release of "Disappointed". She's set to release her long-awaited debut LP via Columbia later this year, and has recently dropped a massive new single titled "Bad Dreams" as she relishes becomes one of Fendi's newest faces.

2013: Thumpers

Just like the aforementioned Howl, Thumpers also played Bush Hall. They've recently released a new EP of collaborations monikered Together, featuring input from many other musicians, most notably Jena Malone (The Hunger Games) and Chloe Howl. It follows the rapturous Galore, a taut anthology of boundary-shattering pop. The band are squirrelled away recording long-player numero dos, so will hopefully make a welcome return soon.

2012: Daughter

Daughter are arguably one of the biggest names to come from Bushstock, rapidly rising through the lineup to headline the St Stephen’s Church stage in 2012. Their debut album, If I Leave (4AD), floored a great many onlookers, and its follow up - that the band are currently slaving away on - is likely to have a similar effect. They've recently released a split remix EP with Warpaint, with each act tackling one of each other's biggest songs.

You can watch the three-piece play "Tomorrow" for TOMS in Bushstock's Secret Garden from 2012. It's a typically chill-inducing rendition from Daughter.

2011: The Staves

Watford trio The Staves are something of a mainstay at Bushstock, with a handful of performances under their belt during the festival's existence. "Being part of the first ever Bushstock was so exciting!" they told us, "...we loved playing at St Stephens Church - it's always our favourite spot to watch bands at the festival. The line-up that day was incredible I remember - Daughter and Michael Kiwanuka and Fink - it's always great to share the bill with bands you love and that you're mates with too! And it's always great to have festivals in London - it's certainly put Shepherds Bush on the map. Maz and all the Bushtock lot looked after us a lot, although they've failed miserably in getting us back to headline. What a shame…”

The Staves hav had a massive 2015 so far, with latest LP If I Was, produced with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, getting massive applause all round. Major headline dates have seen Vernon appear for "Make It Holy", a track he actually guests on - you can watch that below.

Though they're not performing this year, Kiwanuka's returning to celebrate Bushstock's fifth birthday.

This year's Bushstock will features appearances from an array of eclectic artists, indlucing Villagers, Nadine Shah, Michael Kiwanuka, All We Are, Lucy Rose, Honeyblood, Misty Miller, Vaults, Ady Suleiman and many more.

Bushstock takes place on 13 June in a variety of venues in Shepherd's Bush, London. For more information about the festival, including full lineups past and present, as well as ticket details, head here.