Five acts to catch at Byron this year…

Future Islands

GW McLennan Tent, 7pm Saturday

This Baltimore-based three-piece is cruising a massive hype wave from David Letterman straight to Byron Bay. Their fourth album ‘Singles’is ripe and fresh in our aural conscience, but it’s their rowdy, uninhibited approach to synthpop that puts Future Islands on the top of our ‘to do’ list this Splendour. Hats go off to anyone game enough to try out singer Samuel T. Herring’s mad leg moves in Splendour’s notorious mud pits.

City And Colour

Amphitheatre, 9:15pm Saturday

Australia has fallen in love with Dallas Green, and why not? The Hurry And The Harm is the fourth addition to his catalogue as City And Colour, and Splendour marks his return to our shores for the second time in 12 months to play it, alongside a Sydney Opera House sideshow. A night-time slot on Splendour’s main stage will be the perfect moment for a huge sing-along to ‘Fragile Bird’, ‘Thirst’ and more, no doubt.

Jungle

Mix Up Stage, 3pm Sunday

This UK duo turned musical collective is an ideal festival melting pot of ’70s funk and psychedelic soul, all wrapped up in some downright schmick Adidas jogging suits that we all wish we could pull off. Jungle have been easing themselves into our ears since the end of last year with a string of deeply infectious singles and an EP, The Heat. Byron Bay will be one of their first stops after their debut album drops this month.

Skaters

Amphitheatre, 12:45pm Sunday

New York quartet Skaters are making exactly the type of gritty punk rock that you’d imagine. Their debut album Manhattan, released earlier this year, is not the most deep and meaningful release we’ve heard in 2014 – but what Manhattan does have going for it is a solid 40 minutes of fast, loud songs about partying, getting drunk and passing out – the things that many a Splendour punter can probably relate to.

Violent Soho

Amphitheatre, 4:45pm Saturday

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah! That might be all you need to know about Violent Soho, the Brisbane rockers who have battered the airwaves into submission since the release of their third record, Hungry Ghost, last year. We don’t want to be anywhere else when ‘Covered In Chrome’ drops on the festival crowd this time, though the interests of self-preservation might suggest not venturing too close to the front.

Catch the whole line up and timetable at the Splendour in the Grass website.

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