The Great Escape has, since its inauguration in 2006, became the more significant British festival for new music discovery. Hundreds of acts and music professionals make the voyage south to the seaside town of Brighton to enjoy exciting new music from the very best emerging artists across a plethora of genre. Beginning today (15th May) and continuing through till Saturday (18th May), the festival looks set to innovate, showcase and, most of all, entertain.

Wonderland will be heading to the festival this year, and as such have selected and caught up with eight of the artists who we are most looking forward to see play live. Read the full list below…

What artists would you file yourself next to?
Khruangbin, Black Pumas, Sault.

Describe your sound using a colour, an emotion and a genre?
Dark Green, empowering, soul/psychedelia.

What released track of your own would you play to introduce new listeners to your music?

What are you looking forward to most about The Great Escape?
Playing in front of people that haven’t heard of us yet.

What has the rest of 2024 got in store for you?
A lot of shows, a lot of music and a lot of vibes.

When and where can we see you?
KOMEDIA BASEMENT 7:15pm Thursday // PAGANINI BALLROOM 10:15pm Thursday

What artists would you file yourself next to?
Soul Coughing

Describe your sound using a colour, an emotion and a genre?
Lime green, confused, electronic music

What released track of your own would you play to introduce new listeners to your music?

What are you looking forward to most about The Great Escape?
Seeing as many other bands as possible.

What has the rest of 2024 got in store for you?
Some small UK tours, a full US Tour, and working on our new album.

When and where can we see you?
TGE BEACH – THE DEEP END 8:30pm Saturday

What artists would you file yourself next to?
I wouldn’t really file myself next to anyone, I’m kinda just doing my own thing.

Describe your sound using a colour, an emotion and a genre?
I’d say like a few shades of blue and red with hints of green, melancholy, UK rap.

What released track of your own would you play to introduce new listeners to your music?

What are you looking forward to most about The Great Escape?
Taking a break from London for a sec, I like the Brighton air.

What has the rest of 2024 got in store for you?
Got some cool bits coming up. Tap in.

When and where can we see you?
PATTERNS DOWNSTAIRS 8:30pm Friday

What artists would you file yourself next to?
Currently: The Belair Lip Bombs, Dust, Gut Health
Retrospectively: The Smiths, The Cure, Interpol

Describe your sound using a colour, an emotion and a genre?
Colour: Navy Blue, Emotion: Becoming, Genre: Post punk.

What released track of your own would you play to introduce new listeners to your music?

What are you looking forward to most about The Great Escape?
Watching Malice K.

What has the rest of 2024 got in store for you?
Finish our UK and Europe tour. We’re here for a couple months, based in London. More music soon then back home for an Aus tour. Then we’re coming back to UK later this year to record our debut album.

When and where can we see you?
KOMEDIA BASEMENT 12:25pm Thursday // CHARLES STREET TAP 8:15pm Thursday

What artists would you file yourself next to?
I would put myself next to Dijon, Anderson Paak, and Daniel Caesar…but my mum says I’m one of a kind.

Describe your sound using a colour, an emotion and a genre?
I would describe my sound with the colour of light blue (like a sky because my music takes you #upintheclouds) paired with an emotion of intense serenity. And I guess if I haveeee to say a genre I’d say death metal.

What released track of your own would you play to introduce new listeners to your music?

What are you looking forward to most about The Great Escape?
Watching the entire music industry get lit and embarrass themselves (myself included).

What has the rest of 2024 got in store for you?
A lot of crying in the shower and releasing a new project.

When and where can we see you?
PATTERNS DOWNSTAIRS 9:30pm Friday

What artists would you file yourself next to?
We would say we have the outrageousness & individuality of the spice girls. We draw inspiration from en vogue when harmonising, however we love to experiment with new sounds and add elements from other genres into pop.

Describe your sound using a colour, an emotion and a genre?
We all just said green at the same time so I guess green!!! A lot of our concepts when writing have a feeling of nostalgia, this emotion runs through our EP for example “Safe & Sound? is about healing our inner child, and “Generation” is about reflecting on an old relationship that was bad for you, and finding your strength from it. Pop is our genre but we love to take influences of other styles in our music like parts of D&B production in “Safe & Sound”.

What released track of your own would you play to introduce new listeners to your music?

It depends on the listeners mood. If they want to hear a powerful love song to cry to in the car then we’d suggest “Love Me Or Not”.

But if you’re on your way to Great Escape for example we would say listen to “Safe & Sound” for some high energy.

What are you looking forward to most about The Great Escape?
We are excited to see Tyler Lewis, Humble, Mette, Jalen Ngonda, and loads of other acts! But also to perform our first ever festival!

What has the rest of 2024 got in store for you?
It’s looking like a lot more live shows, a hell of a load more music and just more RLY existing in the world.

When and where can we see you?
REVENGE 12:30pm Friday

What artists would you file yourself next to?
I could imagine if Nina Persson from The Cardigans and Sabrina Carpenter made friends with the Deftones. Nirvana and Blondie mixed together, that might be a little bit of what my music sounds like!

Describe your sound using a colour, an emotion and a genre?
Pink and red, vulnerability and indie rock pop.

What released track of your own would you play to introduce new listeners to your music?
“Basement”. The song explores trust in a relationship. The phrase ‘friendly fires in the basement’ symbolises a deceptive lie that might seem harmless but had the potential to wreck everything. All along, there was a fire in the basement of our relationship, always there; I had just never seen it before until it was too late. I wrote the song to express my mixed emotions in a cathartic way. It became a way to convey the complex feelings that arose when the foundations of my once happy relationship disappeared.

What are you looking forward to most about The Great Escape?
Playing live with the band! We’re playing on the 16th at 1.30pm at the Charles Street Tap and again at 7.45pm at Hope and Ruin. It’s so much fun to be on stage. Also I can’t wait to watch other bands, it’s so inspiring to see other people play live, hoping to catch Ugly, Mary in the Junk Yard, Picture Parlour and Wunderhorse.

What has the rest of 2024 got in store for you?
I’ve been in the studio finishing the next records, making a lot of noise. I’m playing Dot to dDt festival, and a couple more! I’m also planning a headline show for London and Cardiff at the moment. One day I want to do a wall of death on stage (maybe that will be this year???)

When and where can we see you?
CHARLES STREET TAP 1:30pm Thursday // THE HOPE AND RUIN 7:45pm Thursday

What artists would you file yourself next to?
beabadoobe, Clairo, Holly Humberstone, Dora Jar, The Japanese House, Deb Never, Gracie Abrams

Describe your sound using a colour, an emotion and a genre?
Colour: Sparkly Pink
Emotion: Existential
Genre: Indie-Pop

What released track of your own would you play to introduce new listeners to your music?

What are you looking forward to most about The Great Escape?
The Great Escape will be my first time performing outside of the US so I’m just so excited for a new experience and to see and meet so many new people! I also love performing outside so I know it’s gonna be so fun.

What has the rest of 2024 got in store for you?
SO MUCH! New music, new visuals, more shows, and so many other surprises.

When and where can we see you?
TGE BEACH – THE DEEP END 4:15pm Thursday