Sound City 2026 was a roaring success
The festival shone a light on the wonderful venues of Liverpool once again.
Photo: Girl In The Year Above by Doug Oney
Sound City is Liverpool’s largest ongoing festival for fresh music. It is two days packed full of incredible music, preceded by a fantastic day-long conference, that gets the city to come together to revel in the discovery and enjoyment of artists new and old. This year’s events were held all around the Ropewalks district of the city, an area full of independent and alternative spaces such as bookshops, vintage shops, restaurants, and, most importantly, music venues.
It’s the first act of the festival, and it’s Ava Fitz at the Spanish Caravan. An apt venue, as its “Balearic” influence, bright blue colours, and refreshing-looking drinks menu were perfect for the sunny first day of the event.
Ava and her guitarist served up a great punch of a set for being relatively short. It blended brilliant acoustic guitars with a vocal range which flitted nicely between wonderfully rough and emotionally high notes. They also shouted out the fact that a new song titled Maria will be out soon under Kyoto Box, their new band. They finished the set with a cover of Eleanor Rigby, which is as appropriate a song as can be for the event.
The second act, also in Spanish Caravan, was marli, who gave us a mix of hyper-pop and R&B with the support of her drummer and keyboardist. They played as if it were their 100th gig, which is impressive for a group that are relatively fresh on the scene. With fun crowd engagement and impressive switch-ups between the chill hyperpop and the bass-heavy R&B, this is an act not to be missed. She was not afraid to use her impressive vocal range, and it worked excellently with both genres she switched between. This worked well with the songs played, including Tension, Back To You and Selfish.
I thought the next band, Vida, were new on the scene by the way that people had discussed them around me, but it appeared that was only the case because of their recent reforming last year, adding the original vocalist back in the mix. The Scottish five-piece last played in Liverpool eight years ago at the since-closed Zanzibar, one of the city’s most iconic venues. They brought a classic indie rock feel to a crowd filled with dedicated fans who have surely been waiting for the band’s return. Among said fans, the band was supported by the lead vocalist’s pregnant wife in the crowd.
When attempting to catch PISS at the Jacaranda, my photographer and I realised just how hectic Saturday at Sound City is. The queue was stretching out of the door, and a one-in, one-out system was in place. This meant that there was no way we could have made it in.
We were, however, able to see just how the city comes together for this festival. With crowds of people occupying any available bench in front of a pub and the large number of onlookers observing a local drumming group who were performing outside of the Jacaranda at the same time as we attempted to get inside, the air was abuzz. The following day, the spot the drummers occupied would be taken up by a hearse full of amps, in which other musical acts would perform. These, alongside pop-up gigs from Campus Label across The Ropewalks district, showcased the city’s liveliness during the weekend-long event.
Leeds-based artist MYER played at Tunnel with a heavy alt-rock vibe. The truly underground venue was slow to fill, but it most certainly did as more and more people crammed in throughout the discordant, synchronous, and fast-paced set. The vocals flourished with the harsher sound alongside the more traditionally gorgeous voice. They played a number of fantastic songs. including Sin, Monotony, When, See Through, and a slower acoustic track that they played for the first time live called Could You Relate.
With their first-ever live show, Girl In The Year Above, a British modern folk six-piece, drew in an excited crowd to the Arts Club Theatre. A crowd who were keen to hear not only the couple of songs that have already been released online, but also hoping to hear some new tracks. The band met these expectations with a new track called Territorial and played two of their popular songs, which are already available online: Ode To The Glory Days and Mama, My Heart Is Achin’.
They played as if they’d done it hundreds of times before, with the lead vocalist giving it her all and showing off her unique and powerful voice. All in all, they looked so happy to be on stage together; their passion really shone through. I can certainly see a very bright future for this band.
Spanish Caravan hosted a fresh group called The Catalogue, who, despite their relatively new appearance on the scene, gave it their all, had fun on stage, and provided a good balance with comfortable covers and some fun originals. Their Cali-rock inspiration was refreshed with the addition of a keyboardist — this lent itself well to a fun cover of Just Can’t Get Enough by Depeche Mode. The originals they played included Your Place Or Mine, Anastasia, Dust and Hold Out, the first song they wrote together as a band years ago. It was the perfect choice to close out on, as it is very much their own and their best.
A large crowd formed in Grand Central for Basht., a hard alt-rock band. Truly part of the Irish rock revival scene, this band’s seamless performance on stage clearly showed why the fans know them so well and why they love their music. The set started slower and then moved into a harder, more energetic performance in the second half, with a mosh pit forming at the front. They’re a band who feel like they’ve already earned a spot as a household name in contemporary rock. All in all, they’re emotional. They’re heavy. They’re captivating.
A brother and sister duo, who have skyrocketed through the rock scene over the past year, were next up in the Arts Club Theatre. The Molotovs have their own unique indie-rock sound, which is tough to put into words exactly, but feels like a heavier, more modern take on early-2000s pop-punk. They radiate an exciting energy on stage, making sure to dance, jump and run around the stage. In turn, the crowd has fun not only in the pit but also on the edges of the venue’s space, and the band definitely knows how to play into this energy. To put it simply, they are — along with their music — very fun. They are a band worth seeing live, so that you can truly experience their intoxicating energy.
My day ended with a set that kicked off with high energy at a packed Arts Club theatre. Westside Cowboy started as they meant to go on. Their folk rock had the packed venue bouncing around, even this late into the first day of the event. With discordant yet synergetic voices, they showed Liverpool their unique and enthralling style. A very charming, emotional, and energised take on folk.
In between all the buzz, they were also able to have their slower moments, which resonated well with those watching. A good show of the band’s abilities and an effective way to keep the set entertaining. At the end, the band gathered around one mic, with a guitar and a handheld drum, to sing their hearts out together and put a gorgeous cap on their wonderful set.
The first act of the second day was the wonderful Remée, again kicking off at Spanish Caravan, although the weather didn’t reflect the venue’s sunny atmosphere this time, with grey clouds hanging over Liverpool for the remainder of the festival. This Liverpool-based singer-songwriter appeared on stage in a great outfit and was accompanied by an engaging personality and, most importantly, beautiful vocals. Although she said that her throat was feeling rough that day, she still put on a great show and played her original tracks Dead Inside, Lonely and, the standout, Life’s a Bitch, a beautiful and ethereal song with a lot of personal meaning to the performer (being all about the loss of her mother).
As I stood at the front of the crowd, I happened to be next to some of her friends and family who were all shouting words of support and singing along to the songs. It was hard not to join in with their infectious cheers and encouraging words. Remée is certainly someone to keep an eye on in the ever-growing independent music scene.
An Aussie trio, Fool Nelson, threw a great set in a packed Shipping Forecast. The dingy, divy, and literally underground atmosphere of the venue lent itself to the indie rock, Cali, and garage-inspired sound of the band. They felt like a great addition to the fantastic Australian rock revival that has been kicking off over the past few years. They’re fresh, full of energy, and most certainly passionate about the music they make together.
Lynnie Snow, another band fresh on the scene, this time from Brighton, were playing to a packed Jacarnada basement. This alt-rock five-piece describe themselves as a “cool girl making cool music”. They certainly draw inspiration from the riot grrrl movement while still having their own voice and style. Having vocal support from most of their band mixed well with both their high-energy tracks and their slower tunes. An enjoyable highlight of their tracks is Street Lights, and they are excited to release even more music later this year.
Although her studio work is softer and more ethereal, her live performance hits harder with an alt-rock style and psychedelic influence. Cordelia Gartside brought not only ballads with a country twang to Kaz’s Stockroom but also an energetic performance which livened up the venue and its attendants. Many of her songs cut from a slow new-folk to a harder sound, which emphasised the emotional punch of the lyrics. A stand-out was Hospital Corners, a song written before Gartside had taken music seriously and had yet to decide what she wanted to do in life. It stands as a testament to her persistence and artistic talent. If she continues on the track she is currently on, she will surely be headlining festivals in no time.
After delivering a fantastic talk during the conference on Friday — one with the most attendees — the delightful Kate Nash headlined the afternoon of the festival’s second day. With the support of her band, all of whom were dressed in white, Nash brought her classic pop to Sound City. It's hard to say something about her that hasn’t been said already but, put simply: she’s exciting, lively, poppy, knows how to really perform, and knows how to draw her audience in.
This performance was certainly more politically charged than the casual fans of her music might expect. This was very evident during her performance of Germ, a song released last summer, as it was originally an essay about getting feminism to return to its progressive roots and, even more so, about supporting trans people. Before the song, she discussed her issues with internet culture with quotes such as how “the world is being run by internet comments”, and that online culture “leaves you depressed”. She also talked about tech companies using their platforms to ‘get the world addicted to tech and then using it against us’.
She also discussed her Irish heritage and how meaningful it is to her before performing a stunning cover of Sinead O’Connor’s Famine. These were the tracks that stood out to me personally, but she also delivered a classic that many people were happy to see live. That, of course, being Foundations. A stellar afternoon headliner all around.
Glasgow-based hard punk band Cowboy Hunters played the Arts Club Loft at the same time as Nash performed her headline set at Grand Central, and they didn’t let us forget it. With playful chants of “fuck Kate Nash” thrown in throughout the set, garnering whoops and laughs from the crowd.
The bass guitar and drums duo are brash, loud, strident and energetic. They know how to have fun alongside the crowd and on stage, which endeared those watching their performance with frequent call-outs to the listeners and cheeky interactions between themselves. They played some songs from this year’s EP EPeepee, including a great track called Shag Slags Not Flags. Despite playing at the same time as an afternoon headliner, they still drew a dedicated crowd of people, whom they bid goodbye to by getting everyone to dance the Macarena with them. They’re a fun band that’s definitely worth catching live.
Though the crowds had yet to fill out Grand Central ahead of the evening headliner, Picture Parlour played loud and proud. The Manchester-based indie-rock group had a blast on stage, playing some powerful riffs that simply took the vocals to another level. They played tracks such as Used To Be Your Girlfriend and Norwegian Wood, showcasing their off-kilter, fun, and engrossing style. During their performance, I couldn’t help but focus on a couple of fans at the very front of the growing crowd who were dancing, singing along, and generally loving every track. If that’s not who a band is playing for, then who else?
As the people filled in at the main stage more and more, an alt-R&B, Motown act brought some funk to the last day of the festival. MT Jones provided soulful vocals that were supported by the voice of the keyboardist and the bongo player. These lead to the crowd gently swaying to the music, providing a calmer atmosphere than the mosh pits of previous acts.
It was certainly fun to see bongos during a soundcheck after two days filled with rock, as varied as the different acts had been. This, alongside a keyboard with the sounds of old-school funk’s electric church keys, introduced a bit of soul to the main stage of the second day. Although it has to be said that the festival certainly had soul present throughout the smaller venues during the event.
MT Jones played some great hits, including Nothing I Can’t Do, Why I Cry, and finished the set off with I Don’t Understand.
Just after a fun countdown on the venue’s screens had finished, Brooke Combe entered the stage to finish off the soundcheck with a fun drum beat. Soon after, she was in front of the mic and, with backing vocals from her guitarist and bongo player, she proceeded to fill the venue with her gorgeous, soulful voice. With a deeply embedded funk influence and a great band, Combe demonstrated her engrossing sound to an audience caught on every word of her lyrics.
An audience that were deeply engrossed the whole time, including singing along to a bridge of This Time, which Combe had introduced us to before her set began. She truly knew how to engage with the people she was performing for and was fun to watch on stage, especially when she would switch from her more Americanised singing voice to her strong, natural Scottish accent.
Although her set had to be cut short due to technical issues, she was able to perform her new single, Tears Won’t Lie, and closed out with How Can I Tell You, a song that made so many of us in the crowd dance along. Another act that simply must be seen live, to experience the strength of this artist's incredible voice.
The evening headliner and final act of Sound City 2026 was none other than the endlessly talented Jalen Ngonda. Playing to a well-and-truly packed Grand Central, this Washington-born R&B/Soul artist gave us one of the few hour-long sets of the festival. A set which was attended by the largest audience I had seen all weekend. Grand Central’s Dome was packed to the brim with an excited crowd.
Ngonda had a voice straight out of classic soul. It was powerful, distinct and had us all hooked, with cheers from the crowd every time he hit one of his brilliant high notes. But it wasn’t just his voice that awed; he was also a skilled keyboardist and an amazing guitarist, switching between the instruments throughout his time on stage. It was hard to look away as he stood in a blue spotlight while he made his guitar sing the blues, shredding so well and so fast that he broke a string. When he jumped to the keyboard, the keys became more churchy, just like the sound of old school soul, lifting his vocals to another level.
The set was full of memorable moments, including a great solo on the keyboard, MT Jones being brought out on stage to play a duet with Ngonda, and fun shouts before most songs, such as “this is for everyone who’s delusional”. The songs played are too many to list, but his final piece of the night, and thus the final one of the festival, was If You Don’t Want My Love, a powerful song and a popular one, meaning that many people were dancing along and singing to it. A great choice to finish off on.
Jalen Ngonda was an excellent choice as a headliner; his music was powerful and left a lasting impact. He is someone whom I could watch live over and over again.
It would be amiss if I didn’t, at least briefly, talk about the conference which took place just a day before the main festival started. It was filled with extremely interesting talks related to the music industry given by people from around the world. Some standouts for me included conversations about getting Georgian music to an international audience, how New York City’s and Liverpool’s music scenes interact with each other and, of course, the wonderful talk given by Kate Nash about her history and the state of the current music industry. I would strongly encourage those who are interested in deepening their knowledge of the music world to attend future conferences.
I have to shout out the organisers of the festival for their ability to throw together such an incredible event, especially when it comes to the wonderful and always helpful festival staff. They made it very easy to navigate all the spaces and acts throughout the weekend while always having a positive attitude. They worked extremely hard and deserve all the praise they receive. The only thing that I found could have been present were physical schedules, whether that would have been in the form of pamphlets or even posters scattered throughout the Ropewalks. This could assist those attending the event who do not have access to smartphones or have limited access to the internet.
All photos by Doug Oney.
