Today, The Isle of Wight Festival 2017 announces 18 new acts to be added to the bill: The Pretenders, The Kooks, Imelda May, Razorlight, Alison Moyet, Starsailor, Space, Melanie C, Scouting For Girls, Tom Chaplin, Alex Francis, Lucy Spraggan, Bang Bang Romeo, Paradisia, Wild Front, The Slow Readers Club, Showhawk Duo and Victoria.
They join headliners Arcade Fire, David Guetta, Run DMC and Rod Stewart as well as recently announced acts Rag ‘N’ Bone Man, Bastille, Kaiser Chiefs, Catfish & The Bottlemen, Zara Larsson, Clean Bandit, The Vamps and The Amazons.
Of the exciting new additions to the bill, John Giddings says: “This makes it one of the best line-ups we have ever had. Roll on June!”
Legendary English-American rock band The Pretenders are fronted by the unstoppable Chrissie Hynde. Originally forming in the late ‘70s, The Pretenders’ self-titled debut album soared straight to #1 on the UK chart, paving the way for an iconic career spanning almost four decades.
Chrissie Hyde from The Pretenders said: ”I'm absolutely over the moon to be playing the Isle of Wight Festival; it is one of the most iconic festivals of our time. I'm so humbled to be playing a festival that so many legends have performed at. I cannot wait."
The Kooks will celebrate a decade together as a band with their 'Best Of' UK tour taking place this year. Their 2006 debut album ‘Inside In / Inside Out’ was recently certified five-times platinum and is still engaging new fans today. The band now have three more studio albums, a number of massive world tours, awards and critical acclaim under their belts as well as over 3 million monthly Spotify listeners, while their seminal single ‘Naive’ remains in the Spotify Top 200 playlist.
Imelda May has become one of Ireland’s most celebrated female artists in history. Discovered by Jools Holland, who asked Imelda to support him on tour, Imelda has gone on to perform alongside legendary artists including Lou Reed, Bono and Smokey Robinson. Her previous album ‘Tribal’ debuted at #1 in Ireland and #3 in the UK.
Razorlight’s 2006 self-titled album topped the UK Album Chart and went on to be certified multi-platinum, spawning the huge singles ‘In The Morning’, ‘Before I Fall to Pieces’ and UK #1 ‘America’. Over their 15-year career, the band have played shows alongside Queen, Oasis and The Who and have become a staple of the British indie movement.
Alison Moyet’s career is in its fourth decade. Her earliest hits as a solo artist include ‘All Cried Out’, ‘Is This Love?’ and ‘Love Resurrection’. Moyet has released five UK Top 10 albums, including two #1s, and most recently Top 5 album ‘The Minutes’ in 2013.
Alison Moyet said: “I’m really thrilled to be invited to perform at the IOW Festival again. It really is something to play this legend of a festival that boasts such an authentic history. I am expecting grand larks.”
Britpop four-piece Starsailor have released ten Top 40 singles and two Top 10 albums since debuting in 2000. Not only have they toured the world extensively the band have also enjoyed more than their fair share of prestigious gigs, supporting the likes of The Rolling Stones, The Police, The Killers, and U2, and have sold over 3 million albums worldwide. The band are currently recording a new album to be released through Cooking Vinyl in 2017.
James Walsh from Starsailor said: “We're really excited to be returning to the Isle of Wight festival. It's a fantastic line-up this year & we're extremely proud to be a part of it.”
Space first rose to prominence in the ‘90s for their eclectic blend of alternative rock, hip-hop and neo-psychedelia. After disbanding for 10 years, the band returned and immediately sold out their reunion show at O2 Academy Liverpool, solidifying their status as a cult band on the Liverpool music scene. Space’s new studio album, Give Me Your Future, is being released early 2017, followed by the bands Anthology Boxset release date late 2017.
Tommy Scott from Space said: “The Isle of Wight is the most iconic festival and we are so excited to playing it this year. Best present for 2017 that we could have wished for. Can't wait to see the fans over on the Island.”
Melanie C is an international pop icon and founding member of Spice Girls, the best-selling girl band of all time. Since Spice Girls’ disbandment in 2000, Melanie C has gone on to establish herself as a hugely successful solo artist, selling 20 million records worldwide and collaborating with Bryan Adams and TLC’s Lisa ‘Left-Eye’ Lopes. She released her latest solo album, ‘Version of Me’, in 2016.
She said: “I’m really looking forward to playing the Isle of Wight in June. It’s one of my favourite festivals and a great way to start the Summer.”
Scouting For Girls released four UK Top 10 singles and four UK Top 10 albums since their debut in 2007. The three-piece’s 2010 single ‘This Ain’t A Love Song’ debuted at #1 and spent a whopping 22 weeks on the UK chart. In December 2016, the band announced a ballot for their 10th anniversary show, which received 20,000 applicants for just 300 tickets.
Tom Chaplin is the frontman of anthemic, multi-million selling British band Keane, who scored 5 number one albums between 2004 and 2013. A successful solo artist in his own right, Tom released his debut solo album ‘The Wave’ in 2016 which entered the UK Album Chart at #3. The Wave features eleven incredibly honest and ultimately uplifting songs written by Tom and produced by Matt Hales.
Up-and-coming singer-songwriter Alex Francis is gearing up to release his debut EP in 2017. The budding talent was named one of Time Out’s ‘Rising Stars’ in 2016, followed by live shows with Samm Henshaw and Luke Sital-Singh. Having already gained the support of British breakthrough James Bay, Francis is set for big things this year.
Alex Francis said: “I’m beyond thrilled to be part of this year's Isle of Wight Festival alongside so many amazing, legendary performers. It's a real honour to be asked and I absolutely cannot wait to get on stage!"
British singer-songwriter Lucy Spraggan recently released her fourth studio album, ‘I Hope You Don’t Mind Me Writing’ in January 2017 and achieved an incredible no.12 in the Official UK Album Chart. Spraggan is that rarest of things – a genuine singer/song-writer to emerge from the TV talent show scene and was the first contestant in the show’s history to score a Top 40 single and album before the live shows even aired.
Bang Bang Romeo are a British rock four-piece who draw influence from the likes of Jefferson Airplane, The Mamas and the Papas and Smashing Pumpkins. Described as a ‘hard edged Fleetwood Mac’, the band have been praised by BBC Radio 1’s Huw Stephens as ‘the best in new music’ and ‘one of the most exciting new bands in the country’.
Bang Bang Romeo said: "Isle of Wight Festival will always be special for us, the place is steeped in History from Hendrix to The Rolling Stones, Bowie to Fleetwood Mac and you can feel the magic in the air around the place. It has such a feel good factor that a lot of festivals fail to grasp and forever will be important to us as the first major festival that gave us a chance to perform. It plays a leading role in the BANG BANG ROMEO story and we can't wait to be back on the Island this summer."
Paradisia are a female trio from London who combine vocals, keyboard and harp to create a unique, ‘70s-infused sound. The band have previously supported Paolo Nutini on tour and played a Hyde Park show with Bruce Springsteen, whose classic track ‘Dancing In The Dark’ they covered and released as their debut single.
Breaking indie four-piece Wild Front whose self-released tracks have already amassed an impressive 175,000 streams on Spotify. The band’s eclectic tracks – which draw influence from everything from ‘80s rock and indie folk to West Coast hip-hop – have all received huge support from BBC Radio 1 and BBC Introducing.
Lead singer Jack Williams from Wild Front said: ’'It's one of the big ones, with a lot history, so it's a privilege to be playing.’'
The Slow Readers Club describe their sound as ‘indie-electro-doom-pop’. The band have supported James on their UK tour, including a date at London’s Forum, and recently sold out their own headline show at Manchester’s O2 Ritz two months in advance. The Manchester Evening News recently described the band as ‘one of the most exciting sounds coming out of our city’.
The Slow Readers Club said: "We are really excited to be playing IOW festival. This year’s lineup looks amazing. Love that it has so much history too. We've all seen the old IOW footage from the 70s with acts like The Who, the Rolling Stones, the Doors, Hendrix and Leonard Cohen. It was so mysterious and mystical following the peace movement. Feels like the most natural and musically relevant festival to play."
Mikhail Asanovic and Jake Wright together make Showhawk Duo and have gained recognition internationally for their unique combination of classical guitar and electronic production. The duo began as buskers but quickly built a cult following, culminating in slots on Nick Grimshaw’s BBC Radio One Breakfast Show, festival appearances across Europe and a sold out UK tour.
Showhawk Duo said: “We can't wait to bring ADM (acoustic dance music) to the Isle of Wight! We're honoured and humbled to make our debut at a festival where so many great artists have played over the years."
Victoria are an up-and-coming indie pop group, who have already garnered acclaim from the likes of Clash for their ‘crisp electronic production matched to a real pop nous.’ The group recently released their new single ‘Souvenir’ and announced a string of headline dates across the UK, including Nottingham, Manchester, Bristol, Brighton and London.