End Of The Road Festival 2025: Ones To Watch
This year, End Of The Road Festival will return to Dorset’s Larmer Tree Gardens, to bring eager punters what is shaping up to be one of the festival’s strongest lineups yet.
Now in its 19th year, the celebrated festival brings together some of the best names across independent rock and folk music. Following a string of impressive lineups, which in the past have featured acts including Future Islands, Lankum, Idles and Slowdive, this year will see an impressive set of headline slots from Caribou, Father John Misty, Self Esteem, and Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory.
Following last month’s lineup announcement, CRESCENDO is here to round up just some of the top acts you need to catch at the festival.
“This year’s edition is set to be one of the festival’s best yet, promising punters a thrillingly diverse range of sounds, with artists spanning folk, jazz, electronic, rap, indie, and many more.”
CRESCENDO MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2024Grab your tickets to End Of The Road Festival today
Self Esteem
We have caught Sheffield pop legend Self Esteem at a number of shows since the end of her game-changing Prioritise Pleasure tour in March 2023. From a raucous, captivating headline show at Hammersmith’s Apollo to a headline slot at Green Man Festival, through to our most recent visit to Scotland’s Summer Sessions, where the Rotherham-raised singer supported alternative hip-hop group Young Fathers, each performance has gone from strength to strength, and she isn’t slowing down any time soon.
With her third album set to drop in early 2025, this year is shaping out to be a pivotal one for the I Do This All The Time singer. Past releases, including the critically acclaimed Prioritise Pleasure album, have showcased the singer’s strong lyrical capabilities, with life-affirming messages that explore female autonomy, self love and existence. In her live shows, Self Esteem, delivers all the strength of her recorded music and more. With an unparalleled stage presence and compelling choreography, the live sets create a buzzing, community-filled atmosphere, that makes her performances unlike any other.
Black Country, New Road
Formed in Cambridge in 2018, highly acclaimed rock group Black Country, New Road have made a strong mark on the music scene since the release of their debut album For the first time in 2021. The album, which was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, exhibited a captivatingly fresh sound that spans an impressive range of genres and pushes the boundaries of contemporary music.
Their second album, Ants From Up There, was similarly promising, with unique instrumental flourishes and a dynamic sound that never comes close to predictability.
Moonchild Sanelly
On the other end of the musical spectrum, catch Moonchild Sanelly for a set that will undoubtedly be oozing with punchiness, energy and joy. With captivating vocals and an original electro-pop-funk sound, Moonchild Sanelly has become one of the biggest names in South African music.
Her musical talent has also seen her pick up collaborations with Gorillaz, Beyoncé, Dipole, End Of The Road-headliner Self Esteem and more.
Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory
This year, American singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten will join forces with her band to release their self-titled debut album under Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory. Set to drop on February 7, the album was produced and engineered by Björk and Bon Iver collaborator Marta Salogni and will feature similar themes to Sharon’s past music, yet paired with new, sharp sounds.
Lead single, Afterlife, which has already been released, is packed with nostalgic, warm sounds and layered harmonies imbued with gothically romantic touches.
The group’s performance at End Of The Road comes as part of a series of shows throughout the year, including a European tour that will be supported by Nabihah Iqbal.
Ela Minus
Hailing from Colombia, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Ela Minus is another artist to catch. With her upcoming album, DÍA, due to be released on 17 January, Ela’s music brings together synthy, otherworldly sounds and catchy beats to create gloriously grabbing sonic landscapes.
Similar to the work of Kelly Lee Owens, Ela Minus’s sound is a unique blend of techno and pop, never shying away from experimentation.
Catch Ela’s set at End Of The Road for a hallucinatory, club-like experience.
Geordie Greep
Previous frontman and lead guitarist of rock group Black Midi, Geordie Greep released his debut solo album, The New Sound, in October 2024. The album is packed with witty lyrics and abundant landscapes that result in a sound that is wholly enthralling.
With a characteristically unique and over-the-top sound, Greep’s performance at End Of The Road is guaranteed to be chaos-packed and deliciously ridiculous.
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