As Liverpool enjoyed the glorious spring sunshine, the city’s beloved Sound City festival returned with a packed weekend of live music, emerging talent, and bustling independent venues.
Naomi Campbell was on hand to review Saturday’s action, fresh from appearing on a panel discussing AI in the music industry — ready to swap algorithms for amplifiers and experience some real music from real humans.
On Sunday, Will Robinson picked up the baton, exploring the final day’s performances. Across both days, the city pulsed with creativity, community, and an unmistakable buzz that Sound City continues to deliver year after year.
Sound City: Saturday
After taking part in a panel discussing AI in the music industry over the weekend, I was excited to attend Liverpool Sound City on Saturday to hear some real music from real humans, nonetheless.
Liverpool basked in the sun for its annual crowd pulling festival which was good news for the independent venues with opened doors spilling onto the streets. Not so good for the cavernous Jacaranda, EBGBS and Shipping Forecast…but all of which were filled to capacity throughout the day with music lovers who prevailed in the heat.
Liverpool familiars, Hushtones, The Heavy North and Keyside were among the names on the Saturday bill with the Royston Club and Rianne Downey headlining.
The line-up also featured artists from across the UK and Ireland with showcase stages from Modern Sky records, Leeds Conservatoire and PPL Momentum.
With Spanish Caravan and The Jacaranda limited for space I headed to EBGBS for the first band of the day. Liverpool’s fresh faced four-piece The Kites played to an eager audience opening with their 60s-esque debut release, Just Say When reminiscent of the Rolling Stones Jumpin’ Jack Flash.
Mid walk to the Shipping Forecast I joined festival goers and general Saturday crowds alike on Seel Street to enjoy some gospel from the Lighthouse Choir who delighted crowds with a taster for the Liverpool Gospel Music Festival at the Olympia the next day.
I reached the Shipping Forecast for my first ever gig in its basement (after 11 years in Liverpool!), joining the crowd mid-set for Dylan Robert delivering pop-indie ballads, sprawling guitar and slow builds akin to Sam Fender.
I spent the rest of the afternoon discovering a handful of new artists. AIMEI 媚 played an acoustic R&B infused set to a pin-drop quiet Jac basement ahead of her Radio 1 Big Weekend appearance in a few weeks. At the Arts Club Loft, alternative pop artist Precious Pepala touched on the serious topic of rape culture in her first show in Liverpool. She finished her set with a warm shout out to her label Modern Sky with whom she released her EP Dark Days two days prior. London based Singaporean quartet Coming Up Roses delivered dreamy shoegaze in Spanish Caravan with melancholy 90s grunge with nods to the Cranberries or their contemporaries, Wolf Alice.
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Saturday afternoon’s headliners Corella, were welcomed with a buzzing crowd at the festival’s largest capacity venue, Grand Central. The emerging Manchester four piece engaged the younger crowd with their anthemic ballads, matching the energy for their closing track Come Around with lead singer Joel Smith jumping in to join the thrilled audience. The four piece are set to tour Europe in May.
BBC Introducing hosted the Kazimer Stockroom stage and I was pleased to catch some of Merseyside presenter Dave Monks’ personal picks, Hushtones, MT Jones and Blue Dolphin Wranglers.
With four singers, the luscious melodies of the Hushtones are hard not to like. I was delighted to hear the five piece play a fresh set of originals in anticipation of their upcoming album including their second latest single Paper Flowers and the Nirvana-esque, Manifest. The former creating a warm atmosphere of hands draped on shoulders as the audience were invited to join in on the acapella encore of “be my heartache, be my second chance”. The indie-pop band debuted their new single Fragments on 3rd of May with a music video.
60s inspired songwriter MT Jones played the BBC Introducing stage’s closing set straight from Nashville, with a voice that would defy any hint of fatigue. Playing a handful of singles from his debut EP All I Do, MT’s soulful ballads swept the audience off into a vintage speakeasy with timeless effect. Delighted with the crowd’s familiarity to his lyrics, MT and his accompanying four piece closed their set with the 2022 single, Feeling Lonely, welcoming a reciprocating audience sing along. Credit to band member Ollie Ashdown whose percussion skills added a retro sheen to the set with impressively ranged backing vocals. The new single Punchin’ is out now.
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Scottish singer Rianne Downey finished my line-up for the day at Grand Central with ethereally sweet vocals in a mix of new and old originals including the latest single Lost In Blue from her upcoming debut album. The Country-Pop singer also delighted the audience with the Beautiful South favourite, Rotterdam, one of the many classics she performs with the bands former lead singer and writer Paul Heaton as his special guest, after headlining the pyramid stage at Glastonbury together in 2024.
Rianne closed her first Liverpool show in a year with the crowd pleasing Home, where, feeling fulfilled and having reached capacity of a day’s live music is exactly where I headed.
Sound City 2025: Sunday
Draped in moody red lights Daytime TV take to the stage before treating a crowd to a dose of their anthemic rock sound. Covering a mix of songs from across their small collection of EPs they deliver a fun set including all their biggest songs including Little Victories and set closer Lost in Tokyo. Having recently played in Liverpool supporting You Me At Six you’d expect a bigger crowd but due to a clash with the main stage there’s a smaller crowd here but despite that the band still give it their all much to the delight of those who have chosen to be here. This is 100% a band you should keep on your radar as they continue to grow.
Whilst Daytime TV play upstairs down in the Arts Club Theatre, Manchester based band M60 are blasting their way through a fast paced and catchy indie rock set. It’s a mix of catchy basslines and soaring melodies which keep the crowd engaged and entertained, vocalist Matthew Morton also interacts with the crowd frequently making for a fun set.
Also hailing from Manchester is The Guest List. The indie band may have only formed in 2021 but they are quickly rising up the ranks, easily filling the theatre with an excited and eager crowd. Playing songs built from melodic riffs and relatable lyrics the band breeze through todays set with pure confidence giving an impression that they’ve been at this for much longer than they have. Tipped as one of the hottest bands in the indie scene at the moment its easy to see why theres such a big turn out for their set.
If you listen to rock or indie in Liverpool then you’ll have no doubt heard people talking about one band in particular, The Cheap Thrills. Having just gotten back from their first ever EU tour the band are no doubt eager to get stuck back in with a hometown show. From the moment they took to the stage they had the crowd hooked in as they make their way through an upbeat and exciting set. The atmosphere in the room is also quite possibly one of the best so far today, with smiles all round as the crowd dance and belt the words back.
Whilst Panic Shack cause chaos up in the loft, downstairs in the theatre Manchester post punk band Ist Ist are bringing the stage to a close. Its all fuzzy guitars and booming drums against a firey orange backdrop. At times their similar in sound to the likes of Queens of The Stone Age. Theres a pretty decent turn out considering the array of talent across the whole festival and its also interesting to see something a little different compared to the indie and pop music that has taken the spotlight for the most part of the weekend.
Of course, the night belonged to Dylan John Thomas, who closed the festival with a set that felt like a celebration. Opening with fan favourite Jenna, he had the crowd on side from the first note. His soulful, infectious songwriting seemed to speak to everyone in the room, with smiles stretching across the faces of every generation present. Thomas may have brought the weekend to a close, but his magnetic performance left the crowd buzzing with excitement — and likely heading straight to stream his back catalogue.
The atmosphere across the weekend was charged with curiosity and excitement — a collective hunger for discovering fresh sounds. It’s this accessibility and sense of shared discovery that makes Sound City such a special fixture in Liverpool’s music calendar.
