Rising stars shine bright this Laneway

Music festival

The annual St Jerome's Laneway Festival has built itself a reputation as the biggest gathering here of both rising and established global indie acts.

Back for the fourth year, Laneway's line-up boasts a long list of new artists who made their breakthrough in the industry only recently.

But amid the likes of Scottish synth-pop act Chvrches and British quartet Savages are indie bigwigs Haim and Daughter.

The meteoric rise of Los Angeles-based band Haim and English trio Daughter in the past year could only mean that they are two of the most anticipated acts on this year's Laneway bill of artists.

When they topped the BBC Sound of 2013 list as the No. 1 act to look out for, it showed that Haim were set for big things.

By the time their debut album, Days Are Gone, was released in September, the sister act had already become the industry's newest darlings.

Days Are Gone debuted at No. 6 on the United States Billboard 200 chart and pipped Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience - 2 Of 2 for the top spot on the British album chart.

The album also made it to countless Top 50 Best Album of 2013 lists.

Alana, Danielle and Este - aged 22, 24 and 27 respectively - are winning fans over with their distinct sound, which the Telegraph described as "1970s folk-rock vocals in the style of Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie, 1980s power-pop guitar riffs reminiscent of Pat Benatar and Rick Springfield, and jittering 1990s beats borrowed from Aaliyah and TLC".

It is quite a mouthful, as are the six NME award nominations they have just received, including Best International Band and Best Music Video. They have also been nominated for best International Group at this year's Brit Awards.

The future is bright for the girls, who have among their list of fans Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda, Timbaland and Jay-Z.

In fact, they are part of Jay-Z's Roc Nation family after their manager, Jon Lieberberg, joined the management team of the rapper's label.

Este told Billboard last September: "I really can't believe this is happening. To do all this as a family with my sisters, too. That's the best thing ever, right?"

And the dream is coming true too, as Haim embark on their Europe and North America tours, and take on festival stages at Coachella and, of course, Laneway.

Daughter make intimate, melancholic music that often borders on depressing.

But fans and critics are lapping up their debut album, If You Leave, all the same.

Released early last year, it won Independent Album of the Year at the AIM Independent Music Awards.

Formed in 2010 initially as a solo project, vocalist Elena Tonra, 23, roped in two other members: Her boyfriend and guitarist Igor Haefeli, as well as drummer Remi Aguilella.

They released three EPs before they signed with independent label 4AD and put out an album.

Talking about performing live, Tonra told The Independent last September: "(It) is a very different mood from when I'm writing. The writing process is pretty intense and it's always a very solitary experience. (Live), people sing the words back to me - it's a really beautiful thing and it's something I can't be unhappy about."

ST JEROME'S LANEWAY FESTIVAL SINGAPORE

WHEN: Tomorrow, gates open at 11am

WHERE: The Meadow, Gardens by the Bay

TICKETS: $150 from Sistic (www.sistic.com.sg or call 6348-5555) and EventCliQue (www.eventclique.com)

This article by The New Paper was published in MyPaper, a free, bilingual newspaper published by Singapore Press Holdings.

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