Meet the future of music at Primavera Sound.
Primavera Sound isn’t just one of the most anticipated festivals of the year, it’s one of the best places to discover your next favourite artist. Taking over Parc Del Forum in Barcelona from June 5th - 7th, with a free opening day on June 4th, the festival has built its reputation not only on big-name headliners, but on its ability to platform artists from every corner of music. Whether it’s pop, R&B, experimental, or indie rock, Primavera has room for it all.
This year’s lineup is one of its strongest yet. 2024’s breakout stars Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, and Charli XCX top the bill, with Charli’s show featuring a Europe-exclusive appearance from Troye Sivan as part of their SWEAT tour collaboration. The festival will also bring together artists like FKA Twigs, Parcels, Clairo, Turnstile, Black Country New Road, and The Dare, as part of a lineup of over 150 acts that once again puts Barcelona at the centre of the music scene.
While it’s easy to get drawn in by the pop stars at the top of the poster, the real excitement is found further down in the artists making their Primavera debut, playing to some of their biggest crowds yet. If you’re the kind of person who wants to say "I saw them before everyone else did", here are five emerging artists you need to catch this summer:
Nourished by Time
Photo: Devlin Claro
Marcus Brown, better known as Nourished by Time, knows no boundaries when it comes to music production and songwriting. His confidence is something I admire in his music so much; nothing feels overthought. It’s all completely his own. In an interview with Crack Magazine, he said, “I like to make music that I haven’t really heard before,” and that’s the only way I could describe his sound. It draws on plenty of reference points - 90s R&B, new wave, dance music - but the way he pieces them together feels unlike anyone else.
His upcoming album The Passionate Ones, set to be released this year, sees him pushing things even further. The first single from the album, called ‘Max Potential’, is dropping this Wednesday 7th May, and I can’t wait to hear the tone it sets for the album. Vocally, he’s experimenting with inspiration from powerhouse singers like SWV’s Coko and Whitney Houston, artists known for their range, even though his voice sits somewhere completely different. After touring with Magdalena Bay (also performing at Primavera) earlier this year, he’s joining the festival with momentum, curiosity, and a sound that’s hard to pin down, but impossible to ignore.
Fcukers
Photo: Eimear Lynch
Wherever Fcukers are, you’ll find a party. Their energy is unfiltered, loud, and impossible not to move to. The New York electronic duo of Shannon Wise (vocals) and Jackson Walker Lewis (bass, keyboards, production) bring the hype to any crowd. They opened for Confidence Man last year, a perfect pairing, and their momentum hasn’t slowed down since.
Fcukers were on many of last year’s critics’ EPS of the year lists, with their release Baggy$$ receiving acclaim across the board. One of the hit singles on the EP, ‘Bon Bon’, went off at Coachella last weekend; but with a Primavera crowd that’s less about influencers and more about the actual music, you can expect it to go even harder. Rave glasses will be at the ready for this set.
Chanel Beads
Photo: Lauren Davis
If you’re looking for something ethereal this summer, check out Chanel Beads. Led by producer and vocalist Shane Lavers, the Brooklyn-based project leans into sound-heavy tracks with wispy vocals floating over them. The production is the real focus, packed with strings, synths, and unexpected sounds that build into something so raw and beautiful.
Everyone has been raving about Lavers’ 2024 album Your Day Will Come, and for good reason. It wasn’t originally meant to happen; Lavers started by casually dropping singles like ‘Ef’ and ‘Shining Armor,’ but as the live band grew to include Maya McGrory on guitar and vocals and Zachary Schwartz on violin, the sound grew too. What began as a solo project evolved into a full world of its own. Live, it will feel like a true collaboration, with the three of them pushing the songs into new territory on stage. It’s music that feels alive, always finding new shapes in real time.
Waxahatchee
Photo: Molly Matalon
Katie Crutchfield has been releasing music as Waxahatchee for over a decade, but she’s still an artist worth having on your list to watch this summer. Her new album Tigers Blood shows just how much she’s grown, delivering some of her strongest songs yet. We’ll be going full Animé (video here) watching Waxahatchee this summer. Heads swaying, arms in the air. Crutchfield’s voice has a heavy weight to it, and she brings such a fresh, modern feel to indie folk and country, mixing those classic sounds with styles that fit her tone.
On Tigers Blood, she’s joined by MJ Lenderman on the track ‘Right Back To It’, and it instantly became an anthem. About the song, Crutchfield said: “I wanted to make a song about the ebb and flow of a longtime love story. I thought it might feel untraditional but a little more in alignment with my experience to write about feeling insecure or foiled in some way internally, but always finding your way back to a newness or an intimacy with the same person.” Seeing Waxahatchee live will be one of those sets you’ll be glad you made time for.
Maria Somerville
Photo: Cáit Fahey
Maria Somerville’s music feels like it’s been pulled straight from the shores of Western Ireland. Splitting her time between Dublin and Connemara, she blends dreamy vocals with shoegaze and folk influences. You might know her as the host of the early morning NTS show, where her love for slow, dreamlike sounds wake up fans across the world tuning in to the show.
Her latest album Luster, which was out last Friday, was written and recorded in Connemara and released on 4AD and feels like a real step forward. You can hear the landscape in the songs, full of atmosphere but always leaving space for her voice to cut through. It’s a sound that draws on post-punk, traditional Irish motifs, and hypnotic drones. If you’re into the dreamier corners of music - Cocteau Twins… Mazzy Star… etc… - you should check out Maria Somerville. Her music doesn’t just fill the room, it pulls you into another place entirely.
