SOUND CITY 2026: WHAT HAPPENED?
Sound City (Jenna Laband/Northern Exposure)
FESTIVAL REVIEW | SOUND CITY LIVERPOOL by Morgan Hermiston
The 19th edition of Liverpool’s Sound City is over, but what happened? We’ll take you through the weekend and tell you about what our two favourite sets were.
Friday
Starting with Friday, the conference day. Music history and knowledge is rich in the UK, and some of those who know all about it gathered in Liverpool for a variety of panels sharing their knowledge and advice. I sat in on a couple of these, including South Asian Women in Music with Rupinder Virdee [Revolution] and Bina Mistry [music:defined]. After these concluded, I headed to The Jacaranda to catch two of the acts playing at the Scottish Alternative Music Awards (SAMA) Showcase.
I also caught up with Becky Ayres, one of the organisers of Sound City, as well as Kate Nash for two interviews that you can read over the next week.
I managed to see the end of Martha May & The Mondays‘ set. Their infectious energy filled the room through songs like “SPIT!”. They have a few shows coming up this summer including Edinburgh on 2nd July and London on 15th July. If you missed this set, definitely try and catch one of their future ones. Mercy Girl were up next. The Glasgow four piece packed the room to near capacity, and impressed with intriguing fusions of electronic notions, darkwave and electro-pop.
Saturday
The first set we caught was at The Jacaranda where we saw PISS. Despite the name, the Vancouver group were anything but that. If you’ve ever felt internal rage at the world and people around you, then PISS bring that rage to life. There’s a lot of political and personal poignance under the screaming vocals. Subjects like misogyny and sexual violence are prevalent, but presented at times as poetic portrayals. It was definitely a memorable start to the weekend. You can catch them in Glasgow on 5th June, and Manchester on 5th July.
We headed to Tunnel where we saw back-to-back sets from Saint Clair and morningstar. Both have elements of bands like Wunderhorse imminent in their sound, but are still incredibly distinct. Both bands also packed out the venue, signifying how many people were keen to hear new music. Morningstar were greeted with fans who knew the words to their previously released songs under Bones, their previous name.
Jack Devlin was next as we headed back to The Jacaranda. Alongside his guitarist Ryan Boyle, the Belfast singer-songwriter carried on the theme of packing out venues with tunes from his Default Days EP. He also performed some newer, currently unreleased material. One of his next shows is in Dublin at the Button Factory on 29th May. If you’re a fan of powerful vocals, and songs to relate to, or even just songs that are easy to listen to, then Jack Devlin is one to watch.
If you enjoy music from the likes of Brogeal or The Mary Wallopers then The Guzzlers are a band for you. We saw the Limerick lot twice during the weekend, but I believe they broke Sound City records with 4 performances across the whole event. The first of these was at Shipping Forecast where they quickly amassed a lively crowd, many of whom sang along throughout thanks to their captivating choruses and vibrant verses. Their sense of humour and sublime storytelling was particularly prevalent when telling the tales of how some of their tracks came to fruition. With one single out, ’20 Pints to Cherbourg‘, this was saved to the end where it was played as one massive sing-a-long. They’re keeping older folk-style playing alive, and you want to be there before it goes mainstream.
This or Suburbia played Spanish Caravan later on. Despite not having any material out, the up-and-comers still managed to fill the room. Their infectious hooks and riffs kept everyone intrigued, and crystal clear vocals elevated every word and lyric. Sound City are champions at platforming newcomers, and sets like this one just go to show why this is so important.
Our final act saw us return once again to The Jacaranda for Ella Eliza. Originally from Germany, Ella has travelled, picking up inspirations as she goes. Her music is perfect for such a wide range of people with a well-nurtured talent of painting personal portrayals that still encompass the feelings of so many of us. In a way, it was the perfect full circle performance to end on. Both Eliza and PISS write about similar feelings of anger at misogynistic language, but both discussions end in different sounds. Songs like ‘not bad for a girl‘ capture these sentiments. All three musicians on stage looked like they were having the best time, which in turn, reflected in an engaged audience, and a set that felt as fun as it looked.
Sunday
Our first set wasn’t an official Sound City one. The Guzzlers played for a second time on the street opposite Spanish Caravan in a showcase by Campus Label, an independent and student-run record label. A crowd of people gathered on the pavement opposite and sang along with the catchy choruses, and laughed along at their quick-witted and humble humour. This was a great way to start the Sunday.
Lynnie Snow was the first official set of the day, with the Jacaranda becoming fully packed out for her set. Along with her band, Lynnie sang a setlist of original material, including debut single ‘Streetlight, Save Me‘. It was incredible to see so many people turn out for her set, and she has a stage presence fit to fill even bigger venues. I sat down for an interview with Lynnie later on in the afternoon where we discussed this set, and more.
We went to Tunnel once again to catch one of three back-to-back sets. Sallie was the first of these, and what an unforgettable performance this was. After a re-brand, this was the group’s first gig as Sallie. Twin vocalists swapped lead roles a couple of songs in, showing diversity and strengths in different areas. Their guitarist and bassist held a persistent foundation, but I do have to highlight their drummer. There was an emphatic energy from the drummer that gave a Keith Moon [The Who] resemblance, and this energy never dampened at all. Sallie are a band to watch, their sound and presence is so professional already and fit to be in much larger venues.
James Emmanuel was the only artist I knew I absolutely had to watch, and definitely joint first as a major highlight to the weekend. We’re both based in Edinburgh, but it’s taken a trip to Liverpool to finally see him. Emmanuel has a sublime, soulful feel to his vocals, with switches between conversational lyrics, and impressive notes. His on-stage presence is fit to fill much bigger rooms and entertain huge crowds. Even if you don’t believe in a religion, he was the epitome of a higher being during this set, commanding and maintaining immediate attention. Everybody in the crowd will have resonated with at least one of his songs, and the stories he told to accompany them. There was a divine depth to this performance, one that I’m sure left everyone feeling uplifted.
The final of our three back-to-back sets at Tunnel was Andrew Cushin. This was a secret set, and Cushin said he didn’t have a strict setlist for it. Armed only with his guitar, his incredibly powerful vocals did the majority of the talking. There were some technical difficulties but Cushin has such presence and personality that this was quickly swept aside. He played tracks like ‘It’s Coming Round Again‘, and fan-favourite, ‘Where’s My Family Gone‘. I’m so glad I could finally catch Andrew Cushin live, and with such a great crowd, this isn’t a performance I’d forget anytime soon.
Down the street, XL Poncho had began to play at Spanish Caravan. I’ve seen so much talk around this band recently that it would’ve been foolish not to go and see if the hype was accurate…and it was! Vocalist Olivia sang with such vivid personality, and their music had so much punch and energy contained in it, that it quickly enticed festival-goers passing by to join. XL Poncho are definitely a band you’ll be hearing more about, and for the best reasons only.
Next, we caught the first half of Et Al‘s set before running next door to the Art Club Loft to see The New Cut. Both bands played original material, with Et Al’s set at Tunnel being met with loud cheers and applaud from the quickly growing crowd. The New Cut, represented by Modern Sky, performed some of their own material like 2024 single, ‘Valuable Customer‘. They have a sound that is gradually becoming more distinct, but with a familiar feel of post-punk that will draw you in with catchy choruses and lively lyricism.
For the first time, we headed to the Grand Central Hall to see Brooke Combe. I was excited to catch her set, not just because she’s Scottish, but also because this was the biggest audience I’ve seen her play to. The venue was packed. Despite extensive technical difficulties, that she did joke about after, she performed to an eager crowd whose welcomed what little set she had left to play. Tracks like ‘Black Is The New Gold‘ went down a treat, and her northern-soul infused ‘How Can I Tell You? (To Love Me More)‘ was met with many singing along. Brooke’s voice is distinctive, and full of soul and emotion. If, somehow, you haven’t heard of or seen Combe, she’s a talent you have to catch before she’s packing out more venues like this one, but as a headliner.
Our final set of the weekend was headliner Jalen Ngonda. This was, alongside James Emmanuel, my favourite set of the weekend by far. I don’t know how I’d gone so long not being aware of his talent, and how versatile and engaging his music truly is. I had no preconceived ideas of what to expect, because I wasn’t overly familiar with his material. After this set, I instantly added the songs I remembered to a playlist so I can fully get immersed in his discography at a later date. ‘Doctrine of Love‘ was my favourite song, but other songs included his most recent release, ‘Hang It On The Shelf‘. Ngonda also brought out Scouse singer-songwriter MT Jones as a special guest, offering another chance to see him if you’d missed his set earlier on. This was absolutely the perfect way to round up the most eclectic weekend. Barely any phones were out, and it was just an hour of people enjoying the tremendous talent of Jalen and his band.
Overall & Sound City 2027
With this being my first Sound City event, I didn’t know what to expect. However, despite a slow start due to completely full venues, this was an unforgettable weekend. It’s incredible to see local Liverpool bands being given a chance to play venues in their own city, as well as incorporating groups and artists from further afield. I also really enjoyed the diversity in genres and styles across the lineup, as there was truly something for absolutely everyone.
Sound City have announced details for their 20th edition in 2027. With so many of the lineup on the cusp of huge breakthroughs, your favourite up-and-coming star may be top of the bill next year!
