LANEWAY FESTIVAL SIDESHOWS: BLONDSHELL – FAYE WEBSTER – STEVE LACY – UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA
Frontier Touring and Penny Drop are thrilled to announce headline Australian dates for Blondshell, Faye Webster, Steve Lacy and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, all touring in January and February 2024.
BLONDSHELL
“An alt-rock star is born” – The Guardian
“raw rock anthems amongst the year’s best” – NME
With the release of her critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, breakthrough LA artist Blondshell has established herself as an undeniable star on the rise. She made an indelible impression at this year’s SXSW, performed a stunning version of her song ‘Salad’ on her television debut for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and has since played sold out shows around the world.
The record, a candid snapshot of early adulthood, is a coming of age rich with bitter experience and raw honesty, and has been likened to “the Cranberries’ angst and Depeche Mode’s shiny edges” (The Guardian). With Blondshell Deluxe Edition, the singer-songwriter delivers three new songs to her devoted fan base, including ‘Street Rat’, an open-hearted and dreamy grunge ballad that is already a staple of Blondshell’s live set.
On her Australian debut, Blondshell will be joined by local indie-rockers, The Belair Lip Bombs. With debut album Lush Life, The Belair Lip Bombs have meticulously sculpted a sonic experience that resonates deeply. It’s an immersive experience that captures the essence of longing, growth, and the ever-present search for a more vibrant existence.
FAYE WEBSTER
“There is so much depth to Faye Webster’s dazzling fourth album. It strikes a perfect balance between classic country stoicism and the sound of the saddest person you follow on social media… It’s probably one of the best records of the year” – PITCHFORK
“Webster has carved out a stylistic niche entirely her own, and it’s only a matter of time before a far wider audience catches up to her.” – PASTE
Faye Webster loves the feeling of a first take: writing a song, then heading to the studio with her band to track it live the very next day. When you listen to the 25-year-old Atlanta songwriter’s poised and plainspoken albums, you can hear why: she channels emotions that are so aching, they seem to be coming into existence at that very moment. Webster captures the spark before it has a chance to fade.
Faye’s last album I Know I’m Funny haha is her most realized manifestation of this emotional and musical alchemy. Continuing to bloom after her 2019 breakthrough Atlanta Millionaires Club, Webster’s sound draws as much from the lap-steel singer-songwriter pop of the 1970s and teardrop country tunes as it does from the audacious personalities of her city’s rap and R&B community, where she first found a home on Awful Records.
In the four years since Atlanta Millionaires Club, Webster’s profile has steadily risen—as she played festivals and theatres across the world, giving rise to legions of fans, she even found her way onto the end-of-year lists of Wilco and Tyler The Creator.
Faye Webster returned in 2023 with two new singles. ‘But Not Kiss’ towers as a modern love song and was released to wide critical praise, followed more recently by ‘Lifetime’, a stunning and sparse song of devotion. As she works toward a subsequent full-length, Faye Webster acknowledges that ‘But Not Kiss’ “says a lot about what’s coming.”
STEVE LACY
“Lacy is among contemporary R&B’s most revered names.” – NME
“His performance is compelling, bolstered by an unwavering commitment to vulnerability…’”– The Line Of Best Fit
Grammy award winning artist and one of Time Magazine’s Most Influential People, Steve Lacy will return to Sydney on the final leg of his Gemini Rights album tour. Written, produced, and played almost entirely by Lacy, Gemini Rights (2022) was an incredible leap forward for an artist who has already established himself as a true cultural force. The album was nominated for 4 Grammy’s, winning the award for Best Progressive R&B album, and reached #1 on the US Top Alternative and Top Rock albums charts. Lacy has over 27 million monthly listeners on Spotify, with the 3rd highest audience residing in Sydney and his Billboard #1 single ‘Bad Habit’ is now 3x platinum in Australia.
Lacy joined Californian band The Internet in 2014 while still in high school and made his recorded debut on their critically acclaimed album Ego Death (2015). He started releasing solo material in 2016, earning a Grammy nomination for his debut solo LP Apollo XXI (2019), before returning with breakout release Gemini Rights, which saw him perform at the 2023 Grammy Awards. At just 25 years of age, he’s already worked with an incredible array of artists including Tyler, the Creator, Frank Ocean, Vampire Weekend, Calvin Harris, Solange, Denzel Curry and Mac Miller and produced the song ‘PRIDE’ by Kendrick Lamar.
Lacy returns to Australia off the back of a huge 2022 tour, which saw shows sell out instantly and venues upgraded to satisfy incredible demand.
UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA
“some of his strongest songwriting and performances to date” – Pitchfork
“a magnum opus, unrelentingly ambitious with just the right amount of self-indulgence.” – NME
V is the definitive new record from Unknown Mortal Orchestra. With his sharpest-ever ear for “making it UMO”, Ruban Nielson evokes blue skies, beachside cocktail bars and hotel pools without ever turning a blind eye to the darkness that lurks below perfect, pristine surfaces.
The first double album in the UMO discography, V makes a strong case for itself as Ruban’s sunbleached masterpiece; it’s a breakthrough work from a mid-career artist in full control of his creative powers. The record is an exquisite collection of songs that evokes the 70s rock and 80s pop of frontman Ruban Nielson’s childhood, while exploring love, loss and his Hawaiian heritage. It’s about having fun while making music and art that transcends clout and currency and propels UMO to breathtaking new creative heights
Last in Australia in 2018 playing sold out national dates, UMO have since toured the world, recently recorded a Tiny Desk Concert for NPR, and will land down under off the back of sold out shows in the US, Europe and South America. Fronted by visionary Nielson, the band is a force to be reckoned with on stage, their live performance delivering something otherworldly and transcendent.
BLONDSHELL
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS THE BELAIR LIP BOMBS
Presented by Frontier Touring & Penny Drop
FRONTIER MEMBERS PRESALE
via frontiertouring.com/blondshell
Runs 24 hours from: Wednesday 8 November (10am local time)
or until presale allocation exhausted
GENERAL PUBLIC ON SALE
Begins: Thursday 9 November (11am local time)
FRIDAY 9 FEBRUARY
Corner Hotel | Melbourne VIC (18+)
oztix.com.au
SUNDAY 11 FEBRUARY
Oxford Art Factory | Sydney NSW (18+)
moshtix.com.au
FAYE WEBSTER
Presented by Frontier Touring & Penny Drop
FRONTIER MEMBERS PRESALE
via frontiertouring.com/fayewebster
Runs 24 hours from: Wednesday 8 November (11am local time)
or until presale allocation exhausted
GENERAL PUBLIC ON SALE
Begins: Thursday 9 November (12 noon local time)
WEDNESDAY 31 JANUARY
The Croxton Bandroom | Melbourne VIC (18+)
oztix.com.au
THURSDAY 1 FEBRUARY
Metro Theatre | Sydney NSW (18+)
ticketek.com.au
STEVE LACY
Presented by Frontier Touring, Penny Drop & Sydney Opera House
FRONTIER MEMBERS PRESALE
via frontiertouring.com/stevelacy
Runs 24 hours from: Wednesday 8 November (12 noon local time)
or until presale allocation exhausted
GENERAL PUBLIC ON SALE
Begins: Thursday 9 November (1pm local time)
WEDNESDAY 31 JANUARY
Sydney Opera House Concert Hall | Sydney NSW (All Ages)
sydneyoperahouse.com
THURSDAY 1 FEBRUARY
Sydney Opera House Concert Hall | Sydney NSW (All Ages)
sydneyoperahouse.com
UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA
WITH SPECIAL GUEST POLITO (MEL ONLY)
Presented by Frontier Touring & Penny Drop
FRONTIER MEMBERS PRESALE
via frontiertouring.com/umo
Runs 24 hours from: Wednesday 8 November (1pm local time)
or until presale allocation exhausted
GENERAL PUBLIC ON SALE
Begins: Thursday 9 November (2pm local time)
TUESDAY 30 JANUARY
Sydney Opera House Concert Hall | Sydney NSW (All Ages)
sydneyoperahouse.com
THURSDAY 1 FEBRUARY
Odeon Theatre | Hobart TAS
moshtix.com.au
FRIDAY 9 FEBRUARY
Forum | Melbourne VIC (18+)
ticketek.com.au
All artists also performing at Laneway Festival 2024
More information at lanewayfestival.com
About the Author
Adrian Gunning Adrian lives in Melbourne Australia and has a huge passion for gaming, technology and pop culture. He recently finished his a Bachelor of Journalism and is currently focusing on games journalism. When not writing and playing video games, Adrian can be found in Comics 'R' Us debating the pros of the DC Universe and cons of the Marvel Universe.
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