This year’s Borderline Festival will see some brilliant domestic talent, like The Null Club, Prima Queen, BROOKI, and Bleech 9:3, share the stage with a smorgasbord of select international acts who, otherwise, may not have had the opportunity to arrive on our shores. With so much to see over the weekend, we have curated ten artists from this year’s line-up that we’re most geeked to see!
1. mary in the junkyard
The London experimental art trio mary in the junkyard are the act I’m most excited to see. They supported The Murder Capital and Soft Play at the Iveagh Gardens in July, but if you missed them then, now is your opportunity. Their soft but foreboding and asymmetric instrumentation creates a misty and jagged foundation, which is then paved over by Clari Freeman-Taylor’s beautifully erratic and breathy vocals (think Björk, Kate Bush, or Tori Amos for comparisons).
Their ability to find the euphonious in the disquieting has resonated with artists like Wet Leg, who invited them to open for them on their recent North American tour.
Recommended Taster: “ghost”
2. Boko Yout
The Stockholm-based “afro-grunge” project Boko Yout have gained a lot of attention across the continent, as they’ve been the go-to openers for their fellow sötnos Swedes, Viagra Boys, on their last few tours. Their addictive, genre-defying music (which can sound like Nick Cave having a go on a mbalax beat in one song, to angels adding a chorus to a Dodie instrumental on another) is just as captivating as their energetic live shows.
Recommended Taster: “GUSTO”
3. Pollyfromthedirt
Spare and minimalistic to the point of just marginally hitting the criteria of existing, the music of the enigmatic Durham boy, Pollyfromthedirt, somehow makes Wire sound like AC/DC in comparison. “Electro-folk,” I guess you could label it; Pollyfromthedirt’s lyrics are straight-up cerebral working-class social critique of the institutions his nation claims he should be proud of, à la Billy Bragg. One of the most interesting acts on the bill, and, fortunately, his entire discography thus far has been condensed into a single EP, titled The dirt pt. 1, for convenient listening.
Recommended Taster: “theres no such thing as England”
4. Art School Girlfriend
With her third studio album, Lean In, expected to be released in March via Fiction (the current label of Tame Impala and Death From Above 1979), Borderline will see the Welsh electronic musician Art School Girlfriend returning to Dublin for the first time since 2018. The dampened verdant pastures illustrated on the album’s cover and paratext (which, to me, is reminiscent of Death Stranding of all things) hint at a record immersed in earthy ambience. Really happy that she’s finally coming back!
Recommended Taster: “The Peaks”
5. Sean Trelford
The 19-year-old British multi-instrumentalist Sean Trelford has been studying art, literature, and music for most of his life, and crafting and releasing his own material for a quarter of it! Combining elements of easy listening, jazz, indie, alt-rock, and psych, Sean’s influences have birthed an idiosyncratic world of existential pondering layered beneath a tapestry of mystic textures. It’s not every day that you can recommend an artist for fans of Radiohead or Mother Earth’s Plantasia, but here we are.
Recommended Taster: “ever since you loved me”
6. Man/Woman/Chainsaw
The London-based six-piece Man/Woman/Chainsaw craft what I would describe as “epic angst.” They’re all skilled musicians and vocalists, but what really adds dimension to this project is the addition of keys and violin. They’re a hard project to nail down in terms of neat descriptors, but, to try my best, imagine if Verdi orchestrated a night of anarcho-punk music as played by musicians that had the dexterity of Led Zeppelin. That’s about as close an approximation as I can make.
Recommended Taster: “What Lucy Found There”
7. LIONSTORM
Wi-Fi, telescopes, Bluetooth, Heineken, and capitalism…the Dutch have given the world a lot, and that list now includes the Amsterdam queer industrial duo LIONSTORM. This act is not for the faint of heart, but if unapologetically explicit lyrics about domination and cunnilingus that somehow double as social critique that you can dance to sound up your alley, then LIONSTORM are a must-catch.
Recommended Taster: “Daddy’s Pussy”
8. The Pill
If you’re a fan of acts like Lambrini Girls, Mannequin Pussy, or M(h)aol, you’ll want to check out the queercore punk duo The Pill. From the Isle of Man, the same patch of land that has given us acts like Wet Leg and Coach Party in recent years, these caulkheads have been making a splash with their wry and sarcastic tunes, which deal with gender inequality and queer rights. Having played across Europe and opened for the likes of Green Day and Sprints, this will be their first time in Ireland.
Recommended Taster: “Woman Driver”
9. DeathbyRomy
One of two non-European acts that will be appearing over the weekend is the former Capitol Records-signed Los Angeles singer-songwriter DeathbyRomy. Former scene kids and/or fans of Bambie Thug will want to check out her intense trap-metal for themselves. Equally as welcomed at a metal festival as at a dance club, DeathbyRomy has been consistently touring the U.S. over the last half-decade and was chosen to support Enter Shakari on their recent European tour. This will be her first time in Ireland, so make her feel welcomed!
Recommended Taster: “PRAY TO ME”
10. Molly Payton
Incorporating elements of folk, alternative, grunge, and indie, the Kiwi “sad-girl” singer-songwriter Molly Payton has been writing introspective music since moving to London at age sixteen. In her homeland, she has supported the likes of Alex G and Palace at the legendary Powerstation in Auckland, and was the opening act for beabadoobee’s entire Oceania tour in 2022. She has also become a favourite artist of Tom Odell, with whom she has toured the UK and Europe several times. See for yourself why these international stars have been paying attention to Payton when she makes her Irish debut at this year’s Borderline!
Recommended Taster: “Honey”
Borderline Festival takes place at The Workman’s Club and The Project Arts Centre, Dublin, from the 19th to the 21st of February. You can see the full line-up and purchase tickets at borderlinefestival.com.
Words: Aaron Kavanagh
