BIGSOUND Festival, the southern hemisphere’s biggest celebration of new music held in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley from September 5 – 8, has unveiled its first round of tastemaker attendees and speakers, drawing from a massive pool of buyers, talent scouts and A&R from around the globe, along with some inspirational local legends.
Heading the announcement are two Australian artist keynotes, Archie Roach and Tina Arena. Proving there are many ways to Australian music success, the two speakers’ career paths couldn’t be more different, yet they have both cemented their place in the Australian consciousness through crossing cultures, ages and genres to prove the relevance of telling Australian stories through song across multiple decades.
Some of the hottest US music tastemakers are heading down under for BIGSOUND 2017 including Quentin Tarantino’s music supervisor Mary Ramos. This year will also be a celebration of BIGSOUND successes, with alumni that have signed deals after hype from their previous BIGSOUND Festival performances bringing their international teams back to join the party. Domino’s Peter Berard will be heading to BIGSOUND after the label signed one of last year’s buzz acts Middle Kids while Stuart Meyer from Sub Pop will be attending having recently inked BIGSOUND alumni Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. The UK’s ATC Live is sending Isla Angus, agent for BIGSOUND 2015 buzz band The Goon Sax. Brazilian publicist Adel Hattem from D Music Marketing, BIGSOUND 2014 alumni Flume’s current South American promo representative, will also make the trip across the Pacific.
he Worldwide Independent Network’s (WIN) Alison Wenham will also provide a mini-keynote on the state of the global independent sector. BIGSOUND also welcomes triple j’sNick Findlay and Zan Rowe, A&R from Trouble In Mind Records, Belmont Bookingsand Magnetic Asia, as well as dozens more great humans that can really help BIGSOUND attendees build a global career in music. If you’re in the music industry and you’re not excited by this line up, then you’re just not Googling hard enough.
A panel of the international delegates will also be deciding the inaugural Levi’s® Music Prize – a $100,000 annual prize pool up for grabs to be eligible for the prize you are able to apply now via the all-new and super-easy application process at www.bigsound.org.au/apply.
Artist applications have been extended by two weeks and will close on May 22.
BIGSOUND Festival 2017 will also see the launch of a number of new elements, including an expanded program of music technology content in the conference and a new Music Tech Showcase. Emerging Australian music tech companies with products at prototype stage are encouraged to submit showcase applications via the BIGSOUND website. Successful applicants will receive a full day of mentoring in the lead-up to BIGSOUND, and the invaluable opportunity to market test their products with the music industry in attendance.
This announcement follows the recent addition of BIGSOUND’s Visual Arts Showcase(applications are also open on the BIGSOUND website) as the event expands to become a platform for the full range of industries and sectors that make the Australian music industry a global success.
Stay tuned for more exciting announcements about BIGSOUND’s evolution in 2017!
www.bigsound.org.au