Music

jonhornbuckle / 23 June 2015

Preview: Eight sets we can’t wait to see at Lovebox Festival 2015

East London’s answer to Glastonbury (aka Lovebox) is less than a month away and it’s set to be a big one. Here’s our list of the acts we are most pumped to checkout when they play Victoria Park.

Day one – Friday 17 July 

Rudimental
These guys have had a mammoth past couple of years, that’s included dominating the charts, picking up BRIT Awards and launching the careers of acts like John Newman and Ella Eyre. Expect a huge headline set at Lovebox, featuring the heaviest tunes and some surprise guest performers. They’ll likely be debuting some tracks from their forthcoming second album, We The Generation, which is going to include collaborations with Ella Eyre and Ed Sheeran amongst many others. Ella’s also on the Friday evening bill so expect her to pop up during their set.

Ella Eyre
Friday’s going to be a good night for Ella Eyre fans as she’s got her own solo set too. In just two years after bursting onto the scene as vocalist on Rudimental’s monster hit, Waiting All Night, Ella has become the face of British dance and R&B, and is one of the most promising acts around. Expect a high-energy set full of big beats, huge vocals and even bigger hair. Keep your ears peeled for Comeback and Bullet For You, two of the best tracks of 2014 and criminally underrated if you ask me.

Karen Harding 
Another rising star of the British music scene; Karen Harding has already had a taste of chart success when her debut single, Say Something, hit the top 10. Don’t miss this set for some garage and soul-infused tunes from a woman who cites everyone from Janet Jackson to the Artful Dodger as her influences.

Mark Ronson
Not many musicians can say they’ve dominated the music scene in both 2007 and 2015, eh? After his success with Amy Winehouse and Adele at the end of the last decade, Mark Ronson came back with a vengeance last year. If Valerie was the track of the 00’s then Uptown Funk is already a contender for the biggest track of, well, whatever we are calling this decade. Friday night of Lovebox Festival is going to go off with a bang thanks to Ronson’s mix of vintage funk and soul with modern beats. This will be the highlight of the night.

Day two – Saturday 18 July 

Lion Babe
Every few years an act comes along that is so effortlessly cool, on-trend and exciting, and in 2015 that act is Lion Babe; a duo from New York that have recently been in the studio with legendary hit-makers including Pharell and Mark Ronson. Whenever a new act comes along, critics are always eager to compare them to an established name. Adele was compared to Amy Winehouse, and now every female singer-songwriter is compared to Adele – it’s the way of the industry. But I challenge you to watch Lion Babe’s Wonder Woman video and try to define it, good luck.

Jessie Ware
This might sound like a backhanded compliment, but Jessie Ware sort of came from nowhere, didn’t she? Back in 2012 it felt like all eyes were on Adele and Florence & The Machine, but that’s when Jessie Ware released Devotion, one of the finest albums to come from the London dance scene in years. Follow up album, Tough Love, has had critics falling head-over-heels for Jessie’s emotive R&B jams. Expect a set packed with soulful tunes that will have you dancing and emotional – a lethal but joyous mix at a festival.

Annie Mac
Annie Mac has done more for the UK dance scene in the past decade than anybody else and she’s a formidable live act in her own right. Bringing all to Lovebox that you know from her hugely popular radio show and adding so much more into the live atmosphere – Annie’s set is one to fight your way to the front for.

Snoop Dogg
One of the most iconic hip-hop acts in history. You all know who he is, you all know his music, but let’s be honest, none of us know what to expect from his set… so let’s just be ready to ‘drop it like it’s hot’, okay?

Lovebox Festival 2015 takes place at London’s Victoria park between 17-18 July, tickets are on sale now Ticketmaster.co.uk/lovebox.