By Daisy Donnelly
Credit: Tramlines Festival
It’s festival season in the UK and that can only mean one thing… get your bucket hats at the ready, because Tramlines is back for another year! Tramlines, South Yorkshire’s annual fiesta, transforms Hillsborough Park from a gorgeous, suburban green space to a hub of great vibes, top tier dancing and most importantly, bloody good tunes. We simply cannot wait so, to build up to our coverage of Tramlines 2023, we have collated our top artists that you simply cannot miss at this year's festival.
Kaiser Chiefs
We will certainly be predicting a riot of a crowd for this Leeds based indie rock band… see what we did there?! One of two Sunday headliners (starring alongside co-headliner Paul Heaton), Kaiser Chiefs will certainly be looking to bring strong guitar riffs and catchy indie bangers to the Steel City. With some staple UK Indie bangers such as “Ruby”, “Everyday I Love You Less And Less” and “Oh My God” they have certainly earned their slot as a headliner for this year’s festival. Their latest single, Jealousy, was released in April and the indie rockers have confirmed that their upcoming album will be released by the end of the year. Their set will certainly not be one to miss, we can only hope to hear some more of the unreleased album… who knows!
Everly Pregnant Brothers
A Sheffield staple and a Tramlines staple (if you know, you know) the Everly Pregnant Brothers are back for another year of filling the main stage with their tongue-in-cheek plays on popular UK songs, such as “Stuck in the Lidl with You”, “No Oven No Pie” and a personal favourite, “Hendos.” Without fail, every year the Everly Pregnant Brothers command the Sarah Nulty Main Stage, get the whole crowd bouncing AND get them all singing “Tried to get me go to Rotherham, and I said no, no no,” ((we won’t tell you what they say about Leeds, you’ll have to go seem them for yourself ;) ))
If there is one act that you MUST see in order to truly fulfil the Tramlines experience, it is this group of local lads - nothing quite epitomises Tramlines and Sheffield like these guys do.
Sugababes
A noughties classic, the Sugababes are back and bringing some of their 2000s hits with them! With six number ones to their name, it’s almost a shock that these hitmakers aren’t on the main stage! After having a couple years out of the limelight, the Sugababes (Siobhan, Mutya and Keisha) have reclaimed their name and toured in 2022 releasing their eighth album “The Lost Tapes” shortly after.
With notable hits such as “Push the Button”, “Round Round” and “About You Now” the girls are back to get festival crowds on their feet. Just picture it, the sun shining on Hillsborough Park, ice cream in hand, “About You Now” blaring in the background… does it get much better than that? Maybe if you swap the ice cream for a pint ;)
Wunderhorse
Wunderhorse may have only exploded onto the scene in the last year, but what an explosion it was! Beginning as a solo project of Jacob Slater during the COVID-19 lockdown, Wunderhorse’s debut album “Cub” was released in October 2022 to critical acclaim, being cited as one of the best albums of 2022 from NME, Riot and Far Out… not a bad start is it!
Writing about some of life's ups and downs, heartbreak and joy, Wunderhorse’s honest lyrics and catchy riffs have struck a chord with many rock fans and their debut album has left many fans wanting more! With songs such as “Butterflies”, “Teal” and “Leader of the Pack” (featuring a guitar line reminiscent of Sweet Home Alabama) they are sure to bring the Leadmill stage to life. Having toured with some of the biggest indie, punk and rock acts around such as Fontaines DC, Foals and even Sam Fender, they’re certainly one to watch.
Mae Muller
While Sheffield may not be as glamorous as Eurovision (depending on who you ask, personally it’s neither here nor there) Mae Muller has chosen the Steel City as one of many stops on her Festival Tour this summer… shortly after the British Grand Prix, no big deal!
The London-born Pop Princess has a barrage of songs under her belt, releasing music since 2018 - five years before she was chosen to represent the UK at Eurovision 2023. Her catchy entry “I Wrote A Song” is certain to get everyone cursing their exes and feeling themselves in the Sheffield sun. But the self-empowerment anthems don’t stop there with Mae, as her brutal hit “Dick” is another tune that we cannot wait to hear at Tramlines 2023. If you want to hear songs that are relatable, funny and in your face… you’re gonna love Mae Muller.
Her debut studio album “Sorry I’m Late” is set for release in September 2023, so keep your eyes on “Slay” Muller.
Courteeners
Our final choice of ones to watch at Tramlines 2023, simply has to be Courteeners. Formed in 2006, we have enjoyed almost 20 years of these guys… and they’re nowhere near stopping! With unforgettable hits such as ‘Not Nineteen Forever’, “Are You In Love With A Notion?” and “Bide Your Time”, we can’t wait to see these guys back on the Sarah Nulty Main Stage. Their catchy indie riffs and Liam Fray’s instantly recognisable voice has made its mark in the UK indie scene and it’s safe to say they are a formidable choice for the Saturday Headliner slot. It’s only been four years since they last headlined Tramlines (alongside Chic and Two Door Cinema Club) with a setlist that raised the non-existent Tramlines roof, and having released an album named “More. Again. Forever” in 2020, these Mancunian rockers have a whole host of songs to choose from for their Tramlines crowd.
It is safe to say that we are SUPER excited to be at Tramlines this year, to check out all of our faves and hopefully find some undiscovered gems too. Make sure you keep an eye on our social media to keep up to date with our Tramlines 2023 coverage. Sheffield we can’t wait to see you and we can’t wait to Be More Nulty!
Tramlines Festival takes place 21st - 23rd of July at Hillsborough Park.