Preview: City Sound Project 2015

City Sound Project 2015 is expecting its biggest turnout to date this year. With over 2,800 people currently expected to attend, and still a whole month to go before the festival is underway, it is one of the most highly anticipated music events in Canterbury. This year, CSP is offering both well-known and up-and-coming pop and house artists, as well as providing some of the best alternative and indie rock bands from around the area.

On Friday they released their final wave of acts, which include house-pop prodigy MNEK, as well as indie/electro pop rock band Citizens!, to complement headliners Disciples and Dry the River, respectively. The one to watch, however, is definitely singer-songwriter and BBC Radio 1 apprentice Rae Morris, whose debut album Unguarded was released in January, which she has been touring in her happy-go-lucky live fashion since. Expect the crowd to sing all the words to singles ‘Closer’ and ‘Under the Shadows’ back to her when she performs them.

Also amongst the artists are Canterbury-grown ‘Fip Fok’ band CoCo and the Butterfields, who are keen to present their unique blend of Hip-Hop and Folk to the people of CSP15. Listen out for their biggest single “Warriors”, which is sure to get your foot tapping and see the diehard fans chanting along to the powerful chorus. Synth-pop act Youth Club will also be performing, providing the perfect summer dance tunes to go with (what we hope will be) a lovely sunny day in Kent.

This festival is set inside the city walls of Canterbury, with participating shops, buildings and outdoor areas giving up their space during the May bank holiday to allow artists to perform, so be prepared for a very unique and original festival experience. To go from one act to another, you will have to walk through the streets of the city, rather than through miles of empty green space, to venues that range from the Marlowe Studio to a 13th Century Franciscan chapel.

City Sound Project’s fourth year is attracting a lot of attention, which is no surprise since previous headliners include Bastille, George Ezra and Duke Dumont. This is clearly a festival that knows where to find hidden talents before they are discovered by the masses, so if you want the chance to say “I saw them at a festival in 2015!”, make sure you head along as well. For tickets, head to their website before they sell out.