With BOARDMASTERS FESTIVAL having been given the green light to go ahead this year, we wanted to tell you about some of the acts that will be appearing away from the main stage.

We will focus on THE VIEW stage first which is a wonderful place to sit and chill, recharge your brains and take in the splendid views of the Cornish coastline whilst bands and artists do their thing.

Here’s a few acts that we think you should definitely make a beeline for.

BAILEY TOMKINSON

Hailing from St Ives, Cornwall as part of the 'Kernowfornia' music scene, Singer/Songwriter Bailey Tomkinson has made national headlines first when as an unsigned, unmanaged artist, she reached number one in the iTunes Video charts. And then again when the Times showcased her song 'Bright Red' as a rallying cry for sustainability and social justice ahead of the 2021 G7 Summit in her home town.

Described by the Daily Mail, Mariella Frostrup and Country Music legend Brad Paisley as "Britain's Answer to Taylor Swift", She fuses surf rock, americana and pop to create an authentic, hooky sound that's seen her emerge as one of the UK's most promising acts.

WILL & THE PEOPLE

Only the strongest brotherhoods emerge from ten years of triumph and tragedy more passionately devoted to the cause than ever. Through car crashes and international smashes, onstage magic and offstage loss, Will And The People – a creative community as much as a band – have maintained an intense faith and self-belief in the power of their music, and are roaring out of their darkest days hellbent on a bright horizon.

“We’re a group of people completely committed to what we do but even after ten years we’re still inspired by the idea of finding a true voice,” says Will Rendle. “We work really fucking hard at what we do. We cry and we shout and we scream and we laugh, we do everything around our music - it’s all about being as honest as we can.”

With a new single ‘Animal’ landing on August 13th and a slew of Summer gigs to follow, you’d better make sure that you’re in the audience at Boardmasters as this is gonna go off - BIGTIME!

PATTERN PUSHER

Pattern Pusher are an energetic funk-soul three piece from the South West who create uplifting, inspiring and optimistic music that is hitting all the right notes for a world crying out for positivity. 

The band are fronted by Alex Johnstone on the keys, whose soaring soulful vocals are evocative of Donny Hathaway and Ray Charles. Benny G’s wild energy on the bass and Benny C’s grooving drum rhythms underpin an unconventional line up with a classic sound. Their crusade of happiness has earned them a loyal fan base, accolades from BBC Radio 6, support from BBC Introducing, and a string of festival shows; now lining up on the same bills as their idols.

YAZZY

Half lion, half human, Yazzy is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to a vocalist, her songs are deep, emotional, powerful and bloody amazing. She has amassed over 137k followers on TikTok and is fast becoming the next ‘Adele’. Make a beeline for wherever Yazzy is performing, get the drinks in, snuggle down and let her soulful, jazzy tones take you to another world.

MANTARAYBRYN

Emerging in 2021 with a collection of songs more honest, empowered, and fully fledged than ever before, the ‘Year Of The Heron’ EP (released July 16th) is the sound of an artist announcing his arrival with emphatic style.

Shaped by several years of emotional upheaval, cosmic epiphany and a renewed realisation of purpose, the ‘Year Of The Heron’ EP arrives as a definitive statement from an artist coming-of-age and coming-out. With layers of emotional depth, complex narratives and nuanced references to nature, history, literature and love; the ‘Year of the Heron’ is described by the artist as his moment of “self appointed coronation”.

His first release for some three years, this three track collection of songs marks an invigorating rebirth of sorts for the Cardiff-via-Cornwall artist. Cloud-busting tunes forged from life-changing experiences

With its leaping synthesisers lines, cooing vocals, and euphoric spirit, it’s a track that celebrates breaking society’s perceptions of conventionality to find your true self.

THE REZNER

Cornish rock n’ roll quartet The Rezner put on an electrifying set, which you need to see to believe. I’ve watched these guys tear up many a festival stage in my time and I am sure that they’ll be eager to get back out there and please the crowd when they take to the stage at Boardmasters this year, two words, BE THERE!

ZOLA COURTNEY

Southwest-born, London-based rising star Zola Courtney has enlisted California rapper Caleborate for her latest summer jam ‘Superstar’ - a track penned as a “punch-back” to arrogance and self-righteousness.

once Boardmasters has wrapped up, Zola will be supporting James TW later in August (London) & Dermot Kennedy live in September (Manchester, Glasgow & London).

ELIZA SHADDAD

Sudanese-Scottish artist Eliza Shaddad returns with her sophomore album ‘The Woman You Want’.

The theme of the album is Eliza’s journey as a person in terms of who she is and also in terms of her relationships with those around her. This theme was also key in her debut offering which, as a body of work, is exquisite and demands your attention.

Having seen Eliza live years ago, I am keen to catch her set to see how she has progressed both musically and emotionally.

THE MAGIC GANG

‘Death of the Party’ is the latest album from The Magic Gang which evolves their sound without losing what people loved them for in the first place. There are elements of disco in ‘Take Back The Track’ and ‘Make A Sound’, ‘Gonna Bounce Back’ hits somewhere between power pop and post-punk, while the piano, strings and vocal harmonies on ‘I Am Sunshine’ recalls their love of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys.

Miss these and regret it for the rest of your lives!

JOSH BARRY

Since 2014 Josh Barry has been touring the world as the lead male vocalist for UK-based dance duo Gorgon City, playing such prestigious venues as Red Rock, Coachella, and EDC Vegas, all whilst picking up some notable achievements of his own.

Having won the Glastonbury Emerging Talent Contest 2017, Josh went on to play several shows over the weekend, including The John Peel Stage, BBC Introducing, and a live BBC TV performance. Later that same year he supported Rag N Bone Man on his sold-out tour of the UK and Ireland, before burying himself into his project to hone his craft and find his sound.

Josh’s unique, modern take on 70’s old school soul, has been compared to Otis Redding meets Jimi Hendrix, with the energy of James Brown. The guitar-driven, yet undeniably soulful music, allows Josh’s emotive and often metaphorical songwriting, to be the embodiment of what he believes in as a person. The heartfelt passion and message in his music will surely connect with the wider audience and will allow them to connect with something greater than just a song.

PORIJ

Porij are an alt-dance four-piece drawing inspiration from artists such as MJ Cole, Disclosure and KNOWER. They’ve built a following over the past year from their high energy, dance fuelled shows. Their new single ‘Closer’ is about intimacy without ownership. It explores the depth of a relationship between introverts and extroverts. Continuing to draw from their house and garage backgrounds, this second single sees Porij expand on the sound of ‘I Like That’. From swirling soundscapes to hard breaks, ‘Closer’ translates the sampled feel of UK dance to a live band, providing a fresh take on the produced sound of the scene.

So there you go folks, hopefully you have made your mind up as to which of our featured acts you are going to watch whilst you’re at Boardmasters Festival this year, why not watch them all as they are all incredible in their own way.

I’ll be posting more features on other stages with some more recommendations of acts that are simply too good to be missed!