BLACK
DEER FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES
FIRST MAJOR NAMES AND INCREDIBLE ARTISTS FOR 2020
WILCO (SOUTH ENGLAND EXCLUSIVE)
WILCO (SOUTH ENGLAND EXCLUSIVE)
"Black
Deer is the kind of close-knit destination festival where Wilco fits in best.
We're looking forward to it."
Jeff Tweedy
- Wilco
THE
WATERBOYS
THE MILK
CARTON KIDS, COURTNEY MARIE ANDREWS, THE FELICE BROTHERS, THE SECRET SISTERS,
JACK BROADBENT, MADISON VIOLET, THE EAST POINTERS, MIDNIGHT SKYRACER, NATIVE
HARROW
RETURNING
HEROES THE DEAD SOUTH, IRISH MYTHEN AND
AMY MONTGOMERY
ARE BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND
A weekend of real Americana &
country music
An independent festival born out of
passion and experience that creates an authentic good time and community
Award-winning Black
Deer Festival is incredibly excited to have announced the
first 14 artists on the bill for 2020. From established and legendary acts to
fresh, exciting newcomers, the line-up for next year’s festival is an eclectic
and diverse mix of incredible talent from the world of Americana, Folk, Country
and beyond.
Bringing
together all elements of Americana and country, Black Deer Festival goers
can fully immerse themselves in the community, music, food and storytelling of
a culture like no other. Priding themselves on a true sense of community and
togetherness, the festival organisers have built on the success of their first
two years and are now ready to announce the first wave of artists for
2020.
Today, Black
Deer announce Wilco as one of the major names topping
the festival line up. An exclusive for the South of England, Jeff Tweedy and
his influential band of Americana pioneers will bring their American roots and
remarkable catalogue to Kent’s very own Black Deer Festival in
Eridge Park. With new album ‘Ode To Joy’s released in October this year
leaving nothing but a moving and lasting effect on all those in the music world
and beyond, it’s clear that this exclusive set promises to be an ‘I was
there’ moment for years to come and a highlight of the 2020 festival
season.
Alongside
this, Black Deer are honoured to have legends The
Waterboys grace their stage. From 1985’s ‘This Is The Sea’ album with
its chart-conquering monster hit ‘The Whole Of The Moon’, to 1988’s seminal,
million-selling and influential ‘Fisherman’s Blues’, through until their
critically-acclaimed 2019 release ‘Where The Action Is’, the band are known for
their genre-hopping impressive mix of roots-rock music. Led by visionary Mike
Scott, The Waterboys are as electric as ever and have been getting rave reviews
for recent live performances, back on the road following a slew of albums
recorded in Nashville, Tennessee.
Canadian
folk and bluegrass ensemble The Dead South will be bringing
their gritty banjos and guitars back to Black Deer following
their show-stealing 2019 performances. A band that stay true to
fans, the collective is known for their partnerships with ethical ticket
sellers and ultimately helping fans fight against the secondary ticket markets.
After releasing their third album ‘Sugar & Joy’ in October this year and
extensively touring at iconic venues and festivals in both Europe and across
the US, the electrifying four-piece are at the ready to put on one of their
most captivating performances yet.
Grammy
nominated folk duo The Milk Carton Kids will be heading down
to Black Deer from Eagle Rock, California. Previous winners of
the Americana Music Association Group of the Year, the duo toured alongside
Mumford & Sons earlier this year as well as other acts such as Emmylou
Harris and John Prine. With comparisons to Simon & Garfunkel, their comedic
personalities and breath-taking vocals, they are a perfect fit for the Black
Deer bill.
Another
artist visiting from across the pond is Arizonian Courtney Marie
Andrews, leaving her hometown at only 16 she toured and travelled
relentlessly which ultimately inspired her breakthrough album ‘Honest Life’.
The singer-songwriter has reached new depths in terms of her sound, songwriting
and even bravery – drawing on inspiration from Motown, Soul and Rock music.
From New York City Subway gigs in the early days to performances at Bonnaroo Festival and massive headline tours, New York natives The Felice Brothers have also been announced for Black Deer. The collective came back in 2019 with album ‘Undress’ where the band addressed serious and political topics while staying playful and upbeat.
Americana
duo The Secret Sisters will bring their sweet harmonies to the
festival this year. The sister’s tragic yet inspiring story led them back home
to Alabama, here they delved into songwriting which ultimately turned into the
creation of ‘You Don’t Own Me Anymore’ – a powerful and poetic album which is
haunting yet gorgeous.
UK Blues
sensation Jack Broadbent will be making his Black Deer debut.
Bringing his gritty vocals and unique slide guitar playing (with a hipflask!),
Jack will have the crowds up and dancing throughout his set. Jack has been
hand-picked to support Ronnie Wood on his forthcoming UK dates.
Back by
popular demand is fan favourite Irish Mythen. Born in Ireland, and
now resident of Prince Edward Island, Irish is now one of the leading artists
on the Canadian folk scene. Her music and songs are enhanced by her banter in
between. Always one to make the crowd laugh, Irish is welcomed back to Eridge
Park following her appearances across pretty much every stage last year!
Madison Violet is a
Juno-nominated Canadian music duo composed of singer-songwriters Brenley
MacEachern and Lisa MacIsaac. The Torontonian group are notable for being
nominated for both folk and pop awards.
Juno
award-winning contemporary trio The East Pointers will be in
attendance, also travelling all the way from Canada after just releasing their
latest album ‘Yours To Break’ in October 2019. The band infuse celtic
influenced original songs with modern influences to create their unique and
charming sound - redefining the ever-evolving genre of folk music.
The last
couple of years have seen Midnight Skyracer tearing up the
bluegrass and folk scene here in the UK. Consisting of five ladies who show
nothing but charisma, charm and of course exhilarating vocals, they have toured
the UK and Europe extensively, leading them to become one of the first UK bands
to gain recognition in the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Momentum
Awards with a nomination for Best Band.
Amy
Montgomery will be making a return to Black Deer in 2020
bringing her captivating performance and raw vocals. Channeling Janis Joplin,
her voice is powerful and atmospheric with modern and unique undertones. Her recent
touring along with a string of festival performances has led her to critical
acclaim from some of the most credible people in the industry.
Folk Rock
duo Native Harrow will be in attendance from Pennsylvania to
put on a soothing yet thrilling set. Devin Tual spent almost two decades of
rigorous training in ballet, theatre and voice - then she finally decided to
break away from academia and write from her heart and find her true voice.
Leading to the Joni Mitchell and Laurel Canyon-esque feel of most recent album
‘Happier Now’.
Founders
of the Black Deer Festival, Gill Tee and Debs Shilling are
thrilled to be announcing the first artists: ‘We’re both so excited to
reveal the first set of artists for Black Deer 2020. We’ve listened closely to
the passionate Black Deer audience and are proud to be bringing them not only
the artists they already love, but artists they’re going to love. The loyalty
our fans have shown us is just incredible and we’d like to thank everyone who
bought a ticket without even a single name being announced! Heading into our
third year, there’s an ever-growing sense that we’re building something very
special and our team are working hard to deliver the best Black Deer Festival
yet. There’s established names such as Wilco and The Waterboys, returning
heroes like The Dead South and Irish Mythen and exciting emerging talent in
Courtney Marie Andrews and Native Harrow in this first announcement. We can’t
wait to add to this great line-up over the coming weeks and months and are
looking forward to seeing everyone enjoying the atmosphere in our spectacular
deer park next June!”
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