Pitchfork Music Festival Takes Over London 

 words by Beth Ford 

Photo by Alex Frances

Pitchfork Music Festival came all the way from Chicago to London to showcase alt-rock and indie bands in various venues across the city. The lineup boasted a wide range of incredible acts, and we had an amazing time bouncing to different gigs to see artists such as Destroyer, hey, nothing, and Indigo De Souza to name just a few. 

The Barbican

I think it’s very fitting that this show took place at The Barbican Centre. It felt apt that I got lost in the winding and complicated brutalist maze that is The Barbican, on my way to the extraordinary and delirious evening of music that I had ahead of me. 

With only a grand piano and their enchanting voices, the experimental indie rock duo The Fiery Furnaces took to the stage. Known for their avant-garde, genre-blending music, siblings Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger are not afraid to be out there and explore musically. While much of their recorded music features wild electric guitar riffs, playful and eccentric piano, and bizarre electronic accents, this performance was completely stripped back. They rendered acoustic amalgamations of snippets from their songs which merged into hypnotic, folktake-esque lullabys. The experience was strange and incredible, and the more you listened, the more you were pulled in. They spoke very little, diving into another mixture of songs almost immediately after the last had finished. The whole room was entranced for their entire set.

Photo by Alex Frances

Amidst six other bandmates, Dan Bejar of Destroyer walked out on stage shy and crazy haired. Originally a solo lo-fi artist, throughout the years Dan has created an extremely varied discography, from experimental rock to cinematic big-band to 80’s synth, with a rotating collective of different band members that join him in recording and live performances. Opening with The Same Thing as Nothing at All, the music immediately filled up the room, with all the instruments in the band beautifully melding together, with Dan’s mesmeric voice weaving through it all. When he was not singing, Dan would perch down on the stage, sip his water, and groove along to the music, feeling it and nodding his head. 

Photo by Alex Frances

Throughout the performance, JP Carter expertly played the trumpet; it would rise up through everything and just tie it all together. I really loved how many of the songs built up to incredible, resonant crescendos. Nearing the end of the set was Cataract Time, we were gifted a glorious, atmospheric trumpet interlude while everyone else on stage sat or lay down. It felt like an incredible, jazz sound bath that enveloped everyone in the room.

Photo by Alex Frances

As it continued to build up and up, the drumsticks were tapped, signalling a wake-up call to the rest of the band, and everything restarted together again for the triumphant close. The whole crowd loved it. In the corner of the room, a couple got up and started dancing together. 

Between songs, Dan was quiet; he was clearly only focused on the music, rather than any displays of showmanship. As the set finished on Suicide Demo for Kara Walker, he silently waved goodbye, and the band left the stage. There was a long clap, cheers, and calls for an encore, but he felt too humble and introverted to participate in a “fake out” encore. As expected, they did not re-emerge. It was a wonderful, weird night of music. 

93 Feet East

The next evening, we headed to Brick Lane for cheap bagels and more music. 

The opening act was Parade, a genre-mixing band combining the saxophone, cello, piano, guitars, bass, and siren-like vocals into a rich, mysterious, sulky, and unique sound. Think cinematic, arthouse jazz combined with ’90s pop punk influences, leaving you feeling as if you were in a hallucinatory noir film. 

Photo by Alex Frances

The second artist was Jennifer Walton, whose powerful voice collided together with kaleidoscopic instruments and synths in a striking and evocative combination.

Photo by Alex Frances

The main act was Céline Dessberg, a French Mongolian artist creating dreamy, nostalgic music. Her voice was delicate and beautiful, but still had depth to it, and she sang mostly in French. My favourite part of her performance has to be when she would play her yatga, a traditional Mongolian harp. The playful, light tones of the yatga are elegantly paired with her wistful vocals. If I ever find myself walking thoughtfully along a French river, I now have the perfect soundtrack. Dessberg was shy, but clearly delighted to be performing, and the crowd-full of her fans, were equally as delighted. 

Photo by Alex Frances

Dalston Takeover 

On the Saturday, we headed to the Dalston Takeover at the EartH Hall and Theatre. 

The day was kicked off by Mamalarky, an indie rock band bringing the ’90s pop-rock vibes. Their singer and guitarist, Livvy Bennett, had great energy, and there were some incredible instrumental performances from the whole band. 

Photo by Alex Frances

Next on the lineup were Teethe, who embodied the shoegaze genre with reverberant guitar, obscured vocals, and their gazes constantly glued downward at their feet. Some songs had slower, sadder moments that were then punctuated with resonant, powerful guitar and bass. 

The next act, the emo-folk duo hey, nothing, were my most anticipated performance of the festival, and we had actually been lucky enough to have an exclusive interview with them earlier in the day. The two of them had an incredible stage presence. The Midwest emo inspiration blended effortlessly with their folky-rawness to create a nostalgic, authentic, and moving experience. Their music filled and connected the room in a way that felt honest and special. 

Photo by Alex Frances

Read our hey, nothing spotlight for a full performance review and our interview talking about touring, songwriting, friendship, and more.

Afterwards, Jay Som took to the stage. With fantastic vocals, cool guitar riffs, and incredible drums, her music style was bedroom indie rock with jazz influences. She called people down from their seats to make a pit at the front and got people dancing, building the room up for the end of the night. 

Photo by Alex Frances

Finally, the crowd at the front began to swell with more and more people waiting for the last act. When Indigo De Souza bounded on stage, she was donning a t-shirt with 6.6 on (a reference to the harsh Pitchfork review of her latest album), and you knew she meant business. De Souza’s music is a refreshing mix of genres, taking form as new wave indie pop with jazz and electronic influences. Her incredible voice has an equally wide range, shifting from beautifully choral and almost operatic to powerful rock belting with ease. She is a captivating performer, and her music and presence filled and connected the theatre.

Photo by Alex Frances

Crush is one of the more pop-y songs from her most recent album, Precipice, and it was so fun to watch live. Everyone was dancing, and the playful energy of the song was so infectious. In contrast, songs like Real Pain were gorgeous, intense, and built up to phenomenal crescendos. She brought the set to a close with Kill Me, showcasing raw vocals, honest lyrics, and incredible drums. Indigo De Souza’s set was a triumphant finish to the night. 

Overall, we had a fantastic time at Pitchfork this year. I got to see some amazing artists perform, and I have plenty of new music to listen to on my Spotify now. I do wish, however, that on the Saturday, the festival started earlier in the day, and some of the venues were closer together so you could see more performances. But I am still very much looking forward to next year and can’t wait to see who is on the lineup. 

Photos by Alex Frances