Soundcheck - Superfood, Kiesza, Giants

Amy Gravelle (@AmyGravelle) checks out a host of acts about to tour, here’s her recent highlights that will be playing a UK venue near you soon.

During the summer months when sweaty gig venues can become almost unbearable, the only solution is to escape the city and bring the music outdoors. Which is just what happened when MTV decided to crash Plymouth along with 20,000 locals for a night of music, against the backdrop of Plymouth Hoe and the city’s lighthouse (July 15). Kaiser Chiefs, The 1975 and Example were among the line-up, but for me first act on the bill Kiesza was arguably the most exciting. Even though the singer is fairly new to the scene, the 25-year-old trained ballerina wasted no time in putting her dance training to work. Her blasts of electro pop and energetic routines ensure a lively 15-minute set, as the singer performs her ‘hit’ Hideaway and new single Giant in My Heart. Kiesza is an emerging act you really need to watch out for.

Heading back to London, on one of the hottest days of the year, I crammed myself into Camden’s Black Heart to help celebrate Giants’ five-year anniversary gig (17 July). The band arrived onstage with beach inflatables and birthday cake, which gave rowdy fans the excuse to crowd surf in rubber dinghies and throw around giant beach balls across the room. As you do. The hardcore band also announced that they’ve completed work on a new album, treating us to new tracks Eastbound and Skate of Mind, which infuse unruly breakdowns and fully charged lyrical cries to encourage head-banging. If the rest of the new material is anything like the previews then Giants are sure to rocket up the metal and rock ranks.

Superfood are a new indie band worth paying attention to. After playing a string of free gigs across Europe, supporting We Are Scientists earlier this year and wangling their name onto summer festival bills, the band have already managed to build up their hardworking credentials. Underground at The Social in London (22 July) Superfood played to a crowd of eager indie kids. With stand out songs Right On Satellite and Melting the band certainly triggered a reaction, even prompting their friends Wolf Alice to help heckle the crowd. There’s something sustainable about Superfood’s sound that helps push them away from the ‘just another indie band of the moment’ tag. Their catchy hooks are mixed with subtle, yet gripping tempo changes that suggests they have enough punch to set them apart from the throng.

On the road: Secret Garden Party (24-25 July), London Old Blue Last (31 July)