Wickerman Announces Sizzling New Stage and

Red Hot Line-up Additions

BMX Bandits, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Aidan Moffat & Bill Wells, Bill Ryder-Jones, Mike Garry and Eddie & The Hot Rods Join the Bill

Friday 24^th & Saturday 25^th July 2015 / www.thewickermanfestival.co.uk

The Wickerman Festival has today revealed that the Phoenix Tent, an exciting new contemporary music stage, will debut at Scotland’s hottest summer party this July. Hosted in partnership with ‘Drowned in Sound’, one of the UK’s leading music websites, its line-up will feature a series of super talented new and established artists from the UK and beyond.

On Friday, New York indie pop group The Pains of Being Pure at Heart will play the new stage and set the scene for an amazing Festival weekend. Formed in 2007, their first album received very good reviews and made them one of the most talked about bands of early 2009. Saturday’s bill will be topped by the BMX Bandits who promise to stir up the crowds with their 1960s-influenced guitar pop. With a string of hits under its belt, the influential group has shared its members with a host of famous bands during their 25 year career, including Teenage Fanclub, The Vaselines and The Soup Dragons.

Joining them will be SLUG, a new band fronted by former Field Music bassist Ian Black and collaborative duo Aidan Moffat and Bill Wells, whose 2012 album ‘Everything’s Getting Older’ scooped the inaugural Scotland’s Album of the Year Award (SAY). Another award winning act set to grace the stage, is this year’s recently announced SAY winner Kathryn Joseph who promises to mesmerize the crowds with her unique enigmatic sound.

BBC 6 Music regulars Miaoux Miaoux, London’s singer songwriter Anna B Savage, newly signed act Face and alternative project Man of Moon, whose sound is inspired by She Keeps Bees, Pink Floyd and Jeff Buckley, will also join the bill.

Storming the stage on Saturday will be The Coral’s former guitarist Bill Ryder-Jones whose captivating solo performances has received rave reviews. Also playing will be Manchester’s bad boys of rock Alias Kid, who count Shaun Ryder and Tom Meighan of Kasabian amongst their growing list of fans.

Artists joining the bill from further afield include Icelandic singer Ólöf Arnalds, South Carolina’s garage/punk/indie rockers Heyrocco and Canadian singer songwriter Zachary Lucky. Scottish stars who will be showcased on the stage include Festival favourites Neon Waltz, Scottish singer songwriter and founding member of The Delgados Emma Pollock and Glasgow’s hotly tipped electro pop sensation Kloe.

Exciting new additions to the main Summerisle Stage line-up include internationally acclaimed Niger group Tal National who are tipped to give a truly unmissable Wickerman performance. Praised for their mix of fierce energy and precision, the guitar band’s hypnotic intensity will add some international flair to this year’s much anticipated event. Joining them will be six-piece indie pop band Young Kato and popular Scottish act RM Hubbert.

This year’s legendary Scooter Tent will be further enhanced with stellar performances from Essex rockers Eddie & The Hot Rods, Manchester poet Mike Garry, Glasgow trio Baby Strange and John Bramwell, the frontman of alternative rock band ‘I am Kloot’. New additions to the Solus Tent include Glasgow acts Catholic Action, White, Jonnie Common, ULTRAS and Sarah Hayes, alongside Dundee singer songwriter Charlotte Brimner.

The Wickerman Festival’s Brian Reynolds, commented: ‘“With just five weeks to go until this year’s Festival, it’s fantastic to announce our new stage and the raft of talent that it will showcase. We are confident that the mix of acts will be a big hit with Wicker fans.”