Electric Picnic: 6 Innovators To See – Featuring Little Simz, Sleaford Mods, For Those I Love & more

Little Simz

The London actress, rapper and singer has just been shortlisted for the Mercury Prize for her incredible 2021 opus Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. The 28-year-old rose to prominence with the independent release of her first three albums, A Curious Tale Of Trials + Persons (2015), Stillness in Wonderland (2016) and Grey Area (2019). A truly special talent, her live show should go down a storm in Stradbally. Revisit our 2019 interview here.

For Those I Love

Dubliner David Balfe has risen to incredible heights, after his self-titled 2019 debut album was picked up and given a studio release by September Records in 2021, later winning the Choice Music Prize. The hugely poignant, raw, emotional project was created following the death of his best friend, artist and poet Paul Curran. Created in Balfe’s shed in north Dublin, the ‘I Have A Love’ artist dedicated the album to Paul, his friends and family. Revisit our 2021 interview here.

Sleaford Mods

Comprised of vocalist Jason Williamson and instrumentalist Andrew Fearn, post-punk outfit Sleaford Mods formed in Nottingham. The pair have made a name for themselves courtesy of their abrasive, minimalist style and explorations of austerity-era Britain and working class life. Sleaford Mods have released over 10 albums since their formation, with 2021’s Spare Ribs being the most recent. Revisit our 2020 interview here.

Perfume Genius

Iowa singer-songwriter Michael Alden Hadreas has blended genres and treaded new terrain with his deep dives into sexuality, his struggle with Crohn's disease, domestic abuse, and the dangers faced by gay men in contemporary society. His debut album Learning acted as his breakthrough in 2010, with further acclaim arriving for his recent sixth outing Ugly Season. The experimental, theatrical songs were written for dance piece, The Sun Still Burns Here.

Khruangbin

The Houston, Texas trio comprises Laura Lee Ochoa on bass, Mark Speer on guitar, and Donald "DJ" Johnson Jr. on drums. The band is known for skilfully blending influences like classic soul, dub and surf-rock. Their 2015 debut album The Universe Smiles Upon You, meanwhile, drew from ‘60s Thai music. 2020’s Mordechai, and 2022’s collaborative EPs with Leon Bridges, further cemented their status as psych-rock kingpins.

Rina Sawayama

Having been knocking on the door since 2016 EP Rina, the British-Japanese pop sensation finally garnered mainstream with the epic SAWAYAMA LP two years ago on Dirty Hit. The fascinating project played with technology and genre, whiplashing to and fro between trappy R&B numbers, country, emo-rock and electro-pop. Her highly-anticipated follow-up, Hold The Girl, arrives later this year. Revisit our 2020 interview here.

For more about Electric Picnic (September 2-4), see electricpicnic.ie – and pick up a copy of the new Electric Picnic special issue of Hot Press: