Roundhouse Rising Festival 2021 announces full programme

Roundhouse Rising Festival 2021 announces full programme including headline sets from Shay D, Grove, Jerkcurb + Natanya, 19th - 23rd October 2021.

The London festival returns to fully celebrate 11 years of championing new music, in association with BBC Music Introducing, Route, Saffron and Daytimers
More panels, masterclasses + workshops launched this year to open up access to the music industry.
Tickets on sale for members on Tuesday 28th September with general on sale Thursday 30th September from roundhouse.org.uk

Roundhouse Rising Festival is back, in person and full capacity after a two-year Covid-induced hiatus. 2020 saw the festival celebrate 10 years with an online celebration and finally it is back to business as usual for what’s set to be an amazing five days in October. Taking place 19th - 23rd October 2021, this will be the first music festival to take place in the iconic North London venue since lockdown and the eleventh edition of the Roundhouse Rising.

The 2021 edition will feature headline sets from rapper Shay D, vocalist-producer Grove, dream pop maverick Jerkcurb and R&B singer-producer Natanya. These four up and coming UK artists top line-ups curated by Roundhouse Rising's partners BBC Music Introducing, Route, Saffron and Daytimers.

Rising has always been about new music. In the last decade the festival has featured early-career performances from the likes of Little Simz, Jacob Banks, Greentea Peng, Kojey Radical, KOKOROKO and so many more. Supporting emerging artists as they take their first steps on their respective creative journeys, Rising provides a platform for artists to experiment and develop their craft in front of audiences that cherish those moments of vulnerability and are ready to lend their ears to the new and unknown.

This year, Rising has expanded its talks programme beyond the music-industry showcase model of previous years. 2021's event will incorporate more panels, masterclasses and workshops around access into the music industry for 18 - 25 year olds, breaking down barriers while also providing a new music offering.

"The Roundhouse Rising Festival is back, in real life and jam packed with performances from the freshest new artists. A decade on from the first Rising Festival and with the Roundhouse finally opening up to full capacity gigs this month, we are so excited to bring you five days of music, discussion and career advice. Whether you’re a new music fan, an artist looking to network, or a young person dreaming of a career in the music industry – there’s only one place to be this October." Stuart Readman - Music Programme Producer, Roundhouse

2021 will also signal the launch of Hub Sessions, a brand new Youtube music series filmed in the intimate venue beneath The Roundhouse. The Hub Sessions will feature sets from Scottish singer songwriter Lizzie Reid,
soulful R&B, pop and folk from Celine Love and Irish dream pop artist EFÉ.

Read on for more info about the Roundhouse Rising 2021 artists, line-up and schedule, industry programme and Hub Sessions. All panels, masterclasses and workshops are available to book today, Tuesday 28th September. Tickets are available now for Roundhouse members, going on sale to the public on Thursday 30th September from roundhouse.org.uk.

Roundhouse Rising line-up and schedule plus partnership info for the 19th - 23rd October
Tuesday 19 October - curated by Daytimers

Daytimers is a community for creatives to share ideas and collaborate, celebrating our universal heritage on the landscape of the western dance floor. Divulging from underground dance scenes and South Asian culture.

Line-up

Headline: Natanya
Natanya combines smooth Neo-Soul and Jazz influenced vocals with experimental production. Raised in North-West London, she discovered her love for music through her father's Motown records and developed this love over time.

Her strong voice, often likened to artists such as Billie Holiday, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill and Amy Winehouse, was meshed with her jazz piano skills when she began to produce and release tracks on Soundcloud at the age of 15.

She released 'Sunset Melody', her first single, in 2019. Now after her recent single, ‘Like U’, she seeks to develop her sound more, with an undoubtedly exciting musical future to come, alongside new music on the way very soon.

Support: Nikhil Beats
Nikhil Beats is an up-and-coming artist/producer hailing from East London who is championing a unique British-Asian sound. Having previously produced two of a five-track 'Third Eye' EP by singer-songwriter, Safiyyah and one track on West London’s finest, Finn Foxell’s 'Talk is Cheap' EP, the producer seamlessly fuses R&B and hip-hop whilst even merging a masterful drum and bass outro on 'Notting Dale'. Both EP’s have gone on to earn a spot on BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ Jamz Supanova’s Top 5 EP’s. Nikhil Beats is just getting started…

At the beginning of 2021, Nikhil dropped his highly acclaimed first solo EP, '3000 Realms', which went on to earn the number one spot in Jamz’s Top 5 EP list.

Wednesday 20 October - curated by Route

Route is a Community Interest Company aiming to inspire young people from marginalised backgrounds to pursue a career in the music industry by sharing stories, experiences and practical advice from within its numerous fields.

We want to demystify the pathways to revered job roles, highlight the importance of less glamorous but essential ones and make connections easier in an industry that can be notoriously cliquey by accident and design. Above all Route strives to become a resource for a fairer music industry.

Line-up

Headline: Jerkcurb
Having fully emerged in 2016 with the flourishing ‘Night On Earth’ - a streaming hit with 2,700,000 spins to date - and subsequent tracks ‘Voodoo Saloon’ and ‘Little Boring Thing’, there’s been a growing sense of an artist climbing into maturity with each succeeding release, video and gig laying the foundations for Jerkcurb’s burgeoning cult status. Radio and press took to Jerkcurb instantly with BBC Radio 6Music inviting him in for a live session on Tom Ravenscroft’s show, also making an appearance as a guest on Steve Lamacq’s Thursday Round Table, while esteemed publications like Dazed, Vice and Wonderland have all thrown their weight behind his music and art.

Written entirely by Jerkcurb aka Jacob Read and largely self-produced - with contributions from Tom Carmichael, Ojan Genc and Pulp bassist Steve Mackey - new album 'Air Con Eden' cements his reputation as a true polymath. Jerkcurb is a magnetic multi-disciplinary artist and mercurial songwriting talent.

Support: Comfort
Based in Glasgow, Comfort combine aggressively attacked live drums with industrial electronics and synths with Natalie Comfort’s raging vocal. 'Not Passing' is brutal, honest, poetic, visceral, angry and beautiful. A critique of gender norms and societal constructs but mostly a vulnerable, powerful personal perspective from outside the majority, 'Not Passing' presents a crucial voice. Recorded in Glasgow by Helena Celle (Anxiety/Otherworld), 'Not Passing' is a minimalist/maximalist formation with stark, thundering drumbeats often accompanying a simple synth line or bit-crushed sample. Each track tumbles forward, powered by Natalie Comfort’s invective, sometimes painfully vulnerable and at others completely empowering.

Thursday 21 October - curated by BBC Music Introducing

Headline: Shay D
Hailing from the stomping grounds of North London, Shay D is a raw lyricist who draws inspiration from her Persian upbringing in the capital. Her latest album ‘Speaking in Tongues’ charted at #7 in the ‘iTunes Rap & Hip Hop’ chart earlier this year, securing the YouTube Music ‘Grime’ Cover, national radio play and Spotify play-listing. Shay D hosts & DJs her own Reprezent Radio show ‘Saturdays with Shay’ highlighting new emerging artists aligning with her work as a youth project manager for Breakin Convention. Not afraid to push boundaries, she not only empowers women through her songs but through her pioneering Queens of Art movement, leading the first ever all-female UK hip-hop tour in 2019 & 2020.

Support: Lynks
Merchant of pure gay chaos. Cult sensation in London’s underground music scene, named ‘one to watch’ by Lauren Laverne, The Guardian, Attitude Magazine, NME, DIY, Time Out, Jack Saunders, Huw Stephens and Elton John. Their legendary live show has graced sold-out venues across the UK, most recently turning the main stage of Latitude Festival into a queer dystopia of electro-punk excess. Watch out; Lynks’ cultural revolution is well underway.

Support: Mulah
A fresh sound on the scene as new up-coming artist ​Mulah ​brings a positive take in the music scene. Born and raised in East London, ​Mulah ​has been widely known for the impact she has created in the public speaking scene; but now she’s having her name recognised for her tight flows and bubbly energy! Her sound comes with a vibe, but a positive message that the world have been waiting for!

Saturday 23 October - curated by Saffron

Founded in Bristol, UK in 2015 by Laura Lewis-Paul, Saffron operates as a social enterprise that primarily offers training in music production, sound engineering and DJing, as well as running an artist development program and record label.

The music tech industry is currently composed of just 5% women. Saffron’s aim is to increase that figure, advancing gender equality in the sector by creating a safe space for women, non-binary people and other minority genders to learn and build confidence. We want to inhabit traditionally male-dominated music tech spaces and become visible role models.

Line-up

Headline: Grove
Meddling together elements of punk-infused dancehall, jungle, bass and pop, Grove is an autodidactic Bristol-based producer and vocalist with a constantly morphing sound. Grove's noise concoctions come from the ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’ energies that reside within, filtering them through a sensuous and rave-a-licious lens, with lyrics inspired by political angst, queer euphoria, and the toppling of the Edward Colston statue in the city of Bristol.

Support: TaliaBle
TaliaBle is a rising London based, Dysfunctional Rapper and Visual Artist who is prized as thee go to underground circus; To experience a world full of surplus WONDER, surrealism and raw stories. TaliaBle entered the music scene September 2019 with a tongue twisted in poignant lyricism, beats crafted with an alternative tone by TaliaBle's wizard in crime and producer: Karl Brinaj, topped off by a gritty, theatrical performance where costumed characters would emerge and illustrate lines in the songs. 
 From Map Cafe to VFD, TaliaBle then championed a headline show at Late At Tate (Tate Britain) with just 3 months into her music endeavours. Since then she has performed at the likes of Corsica, Pickle Factory and KeepHush.

Support: Tlya X An
Tlya X An is a gritty pop artist, infused with underground dub, hip hop and world music elements. Born in Jerusalem, Israel. and relocated to Bristol, UK. Tlya is a producer, singer and visual artist. Multitasking these passions has allowed the artist to express her visions in full force.

Jerkcurb web
Jerkcurb
Khali Ackford - GROVE 2 - 1 web
Grove
Copy of RH logo CMYK Red
Industry programme for young people aged 18 - 25
Saturday 16th Oct
Roundhouse Rising Festival x Omnii Collective present: An Introduction to Sound Engineering.
Ever wondered what it takes to be a sound engineer?
Join the Omnii Collective for a practical introduction to live sound engineering and learn how to support artists to sound amazing on stage. In this workshop you’ll learn how to operate a mixing desk, mic up equipment and work with an artist on stage to achieve a balanced sound.

This workshop is open to any women, trans and gender diverse young people aged 18-25 and has been designed for complete beginners so you don’t need any prior experience, just an interest in live sound.

Tuesday 19th Oct [ONLINE]
The Artist Managers: In Conversation.
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be an artist manager? Join us for a special in-conversation with Kaiya Milan and Shikayla Nadine as they discuss their career journey, their day to day responsibilities and the programmes and pathways available for you to develop your own career in artist management.

Wednesday 20th Oct
Route: Landing a job in the Music Industry.
Join representatives from Route, Ladies Music Pub and Domino Records founder Jacqui Rice for a special workshop on landing a job in the Music Industry. From searching in the right places to getting your CV up to scratch and best practise for job interviews, this workshop has been designed to demystify the pathways into the Industry and offer you practical advice to help get your foot in the door.

Thursday 21st Oct
BBC Music Introducing: Breaking Down Barriers.
Join BBC Music Introducing in London's Jess Iszatt as she sits down with Shay D, Lynks and Mulah to discuss breaking down barriers to the Music Industry and discover how BBC Introducing can support emerging artists.

Saturday 23rd Oct
How to be an Agent.
Love festivals? Love nightclubs? Then this panel is for you! Ever wondered who curates and programmes events such Glastonbury to Wireless?

Join United Talent Agency as they explore what it takes to curate live shows, sign acts, route tours and much more!

Expect to gain a deeper understanding of the industry, learn crucial negotiation skills and take the best steps forward to make it in this scene.

POWER UP x Daju.
POWER UP is pleased to be working with Roundhouse Rising and Daju to bring together our cohort of Year 1 POWER UP Participants and Partners.

Join us for a panel discussion as we reflect on the impact POWER UP has had, the importance of networks and ways to address barriers facing Black musicians and professionals forging careers in music.

Lizzie Reid high res
Lizzie Reid
Celine Love web
Celine Love
EFE web
EFÉ
Hub Sessions
The Roundhouse launches Hub Sessions as part of Rising; a new series of intimate 15-minute sets shot in our unique and beautiful Hub space hidden underneath the Roundhouse. Hub Sessions will feature performances from a diverse range of artists including emerging talent and household names shot close-up, honest, stripped back and streamed free online via YouTube. We are proud to announce that the first three Hub Sessions will star Lizzie Reid, former Roundhouse Resident Artist, Celine Love and EFÉ.

Artists & timings for Hub Sessions launch (as part of Rising):

Thu 21 Oct, 7pm - Lizzie Reid
Lizzie Reid is one of Scotland’s most promising new artists. An emotionally raw songwriter, Reid’s songs explore themes of love, loss, identity and modern life. Her Debut EP ‘Cubicle’ was released in February 2021, and included singles 'Company Car', 'Seamless' and 'Always Lovely', which have racked up plays across BBC Radio 1, BBC 6music and Radio X.
Drawing comparisons to contemporaries like Laura Marling, Angel Olsen and Julia Jacklin, Reid has an honest vulnerability which shines through in her songs creating a mature, steely eyed reflection on the topics she tackles.

Fri 22 Oct, 7pm - Celine Love
Celine Love is a singer-songwriter of African-American, Jamaican and German descent, originally from Hamburg, Germany. The London based artist takes her audience on a melodic journey through her life experiences with a guitar in her hand and her heart in her voice. She creates a blend of soulful R&B, pop and folk whilst telling stories with expressionism and self-discovery at its core with a hint of socio-critical commentary.

Her upcoming debut EP 'Aquarius SZN' continues to blend her soulful acoustic pop background with producer TR33’s R&B influence. With support by the likes of BBC Radio London and more, Celine is fueled with excitement to make her mark on the UK music scene.

Sat 23 Oct, 7pm - EFÉ
EFÉ is a 21 year old Irish dream pop artist hailing from Dublin. EFÉ released her debut EP 'What Should We Do This Summer' in October 2020 which was recorded in her bedroom with the help of her friends. Her music is a sunny slice of bedroom pop, evoking images of blue skies on a summer's day using shimmering synth pads and funky, modulated guitar tones. EFÉ sets herself apart from other artists with the unique and playful groove that provides the grounding for her DIY style, and definitely marks her as one to watch from the emerging Irish scene.