We’re over the moon to announce GRUFF RHYS will be headlining the Truck stage on Saturday, performing tracks from his brilliant new LP “Hotel Shampoo” plus a selection from his back catalogue. The Super Furries’ front man has been on our wish list since ’98 so we’re thrilled to finally be welcoming him to Hill Farm; we think he’ll feel right at home…
Truck’s first ever Friday night headliner will see the immediate return of the almighty party-folk collective that is BELLOWHEAD; we asked all the Truckers after last year’s festival what you’d most like to see this year - our survey said “Bellowhead to headline”, and we couldn’t agree more.
Legendary dance-pop icons SAINT ETIENNE, lyrical folk-rocker JOHNNY FLYNN and Midlake-collaborator and underground hit of 2010 JOHN GRANT will all grace our new 2nd stage, joined by the epic melancholia of CHERRY GHOST, and Brooklyn-busker-fiddler-turned soul-star-in-waiting MARQUES TOLIVER - check him out wowing Later with Jools here..Excited already? Tickets are here - but come back & keep reading..
Elsewhere, all the way from Woodstock NY, we’ll see the glam-soul collective that is THE DUKE & THE KING making their Truck debut, as well as a triumphant homecoming appearance on the main stage for Oxford’s great new hopes FIXERS - their debut single “Iron Deer Dream” sold out so fast at the Truck Store that even their dad couldn’t get a copy..
Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub and Euros Childs from Gorkys Zygotic Mynci return to Hill Farm with their new super-group JONNY, on the back of their eponymous debut album, alongside rising country star CAITLIN ROSE, who’s been earning comparisons to Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline wherever she goes. Oxford’s Blessing Force collective will be well represented, from the top-class melancholy disco of TROPHY WIFE, through the leftfield pop stylings of longtime Truck favourites JONQUIL, to CHAD VALLEY, Hugo from Jonquil’s new dance-oriented outlet. Euphoric psych-pop from Denmark comes in the form of TREEFIGHT FOR SUNLIGHT, while acclaimed alt-country songwriter and author Willy Vlautin will be appearing in a special duo performance of his Oregon-based group RICHMOND FONTAINE. Newcomer MARCUS FOSTER, signed to Mumford & Sons’ Communion Records, is already causing quite a stir, and last but by no means least, Robin and Joe Truck will play their traditional host set as the DREAMING SPIRES, following on from the July release of their debut single “Everything All the Time”.
Beyond the artist line-up there’s a new Family field, taking many of the features that have made Wood festival such a treat - including activities and workshops for young and old, and a Wood stage hosted by Oxford Folk Festival, to whom we are delighted to give a home after their event was sadly forced to cancel this year - and, saving the best ’til last, we’ll also be introducing a campfire, for those late-night cider-stoked singalongs (no doubt led by Robin and Joe..!)
We’ll have even more exciting news for you soon, but we’ll leave it there for now to give you time to digest all that..! with love from all at Truck HQ xx
