GET READY FOR 2024 LINE UP
We have started to announce our line-up for The Music Barn Festival 2024. Keep checking back as we add to this page with our acts.
This year we have 4 stages to choose from so whether you love a bit of electronics dance music and are more into your accoustic music we have got you covered!
Headliner – Temples
Kettering Psych Rockers headlines the Main Stage!
Deep in the making of their new album Exotico, British psych-rockers Temples learned of the early-modern phenomenon of phantom islands: bodies of land included on maps for a period of time but later found to be nonexistent, often the consequence of oceanic mirage or deliberate mythmaking.
Produced by Sean Ono Lennon, the Kettering-bred band’s fourth full-length takes place in a similarly mystical setting, an impossibly utopic island dreamed up by singer/guitarist James Bagshaw, bassist Tom Walmsley, keyboardist/guitarist Adam Smith, and drummer Rens Ottink.
With its resplendent collage of psychedelia and krautrock and time-bending dream-pop, Exotico brings that world to life in crystalline detail, all while exploring an entire spectrum of existential themes: impermanence, mortality, our connection with nature and the wild immensity of the mind. Equal parts cerebral and celestial, the result is a truly immersive body of work, fully affirming Temples as one of today’s most forward-thinking and endlessly inventive rock bands.
Find out more about Temples by clicking here.
Headliner – Billy Lockett
Northamptons best kept secret headlines the Main Stage!
Donning his trademark leather jacket and set to transform the music of the stereotypical indie wild child, a youthful, self-taught, ambitious Billy Locket began 2011 with an armoury of tracks ranging from flawless piano playing to catchy, punchy feel good tunes ; all aided by a uniquely soulful voice that leaves crowds muttering choruses into the night… and you thought Northampton only produced good shoes.
Hidden away in a quaint, terraced house, beneath years of prestigious artwork and creative awe, in a basement full to the brim of old slot machines, canvases, board games and band equipment, lurks the infectious sound of Billy Lockett; the towns best kept, home grown, musical prodigy in the making. Call it “acoustic-pop with a hint of indie”, call it “indie-piano with a tint of pop”; all we know is there’s some serious method in the music he’s making.
Find out more about Billy by clicking here.
Headliner – Basslayerz
Drum N Bass maestros headline the Selecta stage!
Since 2011, the BassLayerz crew have been conducting a pincer-movement attack on the drum ‘n’ bass scene. From their base in Nottingham, they’ve been building their reputation as a promotions outfit, putting on roadblock events with some of the biggest artists in the scene. Simultaneously, they’ve been shutting down dances as an explosive two-emcee and one-deejay combination.
The roots go much deeper than that though.
After all, one of the trio is the veteran mic man Spyda. Coming up through the dancehall soundsystem scene of the eighties, he was making tunes before he was even a teenager. And, after linking up with Bassman to form the first incarnation of the Shadow Demon crew, he became one of jungle music’s most recognisable voices. Fast-forward to the present day, via multiple huge residencies, collaborations with the likes of Drumsound & Bassline Smith, DJ Fresh and Pendulum, and Spyda’s place in the DnB hall of fame is assured.
Spyda’s back-to-back sparring partner is Blu Bomma. Over the last few years, this versatile emcee has stormed into the consciousness of the raving massive. With thousands of YouTube views and Soundcloud plays, and having graced some of the biggest stages drum ‘n’ bass has to offer, he’s one of the biggest rise-through-the-ranks success stories of recent times. As co-writer on “Tarantula” with Spyda, he’s also chalked up enviable studio credentials.
Rounding out the team is their selector of choice Slipz. Establishing himself as a grime and bassline producer, he’s worked with a roll call of luminaries including Daddy Freddy, Jocelyn Brown, Aquasky, Dapz, and Trigga. Since turning his attention to drum ‘n’ bass, his tunes have been supported by the likes of Nicky Blackmarket, Logan D, and Andy C, proving that he’s a deadly prospect in the studio, or behind the decks, whatever the bpm.
To put it simply, BassLayerz are one of the biggest crews in drum ‘n’ bass right now. As award-winning promoters and performers with an on-stage chemistry born of long-standing friendship, these Robin Hood country representatives take the roof off the rave every time.
Find out more about Basslayerz by clicking here.
Headliner – George Smeddles
Headliner for our Slade Stage!
Few artists have risen to prominence in the short space of time as George Smeddles has done. Remaining explicitly true to his musical inclination, inspired heavily by a background of Garage, Motown, Jazz, House, Soul and Funk, George’s truly unique portrayal of House music has seen him become a distinctive figure on the global stage – all whilst relatively juvenile in his tenure.
Bursting onto the scene in 2018 with the ever-memorable ‘Shake Your Body’, the release paved the way for a steep incline that continues to see George’s notoriety climb at an exponential rate. Since then, George has continued to stamp his authority on the House music scene, with a constant supply of high-performing releases, including ‘Start The Party’ – which reached #1 across all genres
on Beatport in 2019.
2022 was a whirlwind year for George, with the launch of his ‘South’ record label featuring music from Max Dean, Prunk, and Smeddles himself playing a pivotal role in his success over the last 12 months. A collaborative EP with Moxy Muzik frontman Darius Syrossian on DFTD also contributed to George’s ever-growing acclaim, hanging onto a #1 on Beatport for five solid weeks with ‘Back In
The Dance’. Add to this an official remix of Indeep’s iconic ‘Last Night A DJ Saved My Life’, and it’s fair to say that it was business as usual for George last year, further cementing himself as one of the industry’s most exciting and genuine prospects.
Just as present outside of the studio as he is inside it, George is a committed performer with an impressive resume that spans the world over. Among the ever-growing list of his most notable appearances, fabriclondon, Amnesia Ibiza, CRSSD Festival and Glastonbury lead the way.
George’s Soundcloud page is brimming with material – check it out by clicking here.
VC Pines
Rising Star in the London indie scene plays the Main Stage!
VC Pines (Violet Coloured Pines) is Jack Mercer, the smart, articulate alt-soul singer-songwriter whose gripping tales of love, loss and late nights in London keep growing in depth and sophistication. After acclaimed EPs Concrete (2021), Skully (2020) and Indigo (2019), Jack’s ready to release a barrage of new music which tells the tale of “someone struggling with mental health, juggling relationships, friendships, addictions and emotions, while being a creative person.”
For VC Pines, 2022 saw the release of singles ‘Satellite’ and ‘Be Honest’, follow-ups to the highly-praised EP ‘Concrete’, culminating in a sell out headline at London’s Jazz Cafe. He received radio support from BBC Radio 1, BBC 6Music, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio London Introducing show, Radio X, and Absolute Radio, as well as tastemaker coverage in CLASH, WONDERLAND, NOTION, and many more. After taking a hiatus, and learning how to ‘trust his gut’, 2023 see the release of VC Pines’ debut album, which was a new direction for the outstanding artist in many ways.
Elaborating on his sound to come, he adds, “I’ve definitely taken a more alternative direction, focusing more on contemporary and unique sounds and pairing them with soulful vocals. I love working with huge contrasts, using sounds as imagery as a way to paint a modern picture, and creating perfect juxtapositions through instrumentation. It all starts with writing a solid song on one instrument, and then doing the best I can to fuck with it using influences from Childish Gambino, Glass Animals, Steve Lacy, Kendrick Lamar and King Krule producing a blend of London traffic with Hip Hop grooves and soulful melodies.”
Find out more about VC Pines by clicking here.
Aphrodite
King of the Jungle hits the Selecta Stage!
DJ Aphrodite has been a mainstay of the Worldwide Rave Scene since the early nineties. For each country around the world with a Drum & Bass scenes, DJ Aphrodite has produced anthems. ‘Ganja Man’, ‘King Of The Beats’, ‘Style From The Darkside’, ‘All Over Me’, ‘Summer Breeze’, ‘Dub Moods’ and ‘Stalker’ from the infamous record shop scene in movie ‘Human Traffic’, ‘Mash Up You Know’, ‘Booyaa’ and ‘We Enter’, to name just a few solo compositions have all graced Junglist and DnB playlists everywhere.
Starting with Urban Shakedown and together producing the huge rave anthem ‘Some Justice’ Aphrodite became a prolific producer being an integral part of creating a string of Jungle and Drum & Bass Classics of which more than a dozen had UK and European mainstream chart success. Throughout the millennium Aphrodite’s Artist and DJ Mix albums notched up half a million sales worldwide and his popularity as one of the world’s Drum & Bass icons was forged with consistent performances and now delivering multiple 4-deck mixing to all crowds be them 30,000 or 300 strong. Aphrodite’s travels as one of the world’s favourite Jungle and DNB artists, playing a mix of exclusives, special versions, new releases, DJ promos and self-indulgent classics has seen him perform all over the United Kingdom, Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa and Australasia.
Find out more about Aphrodite by clicking here.
The Scribes
Mid Afternoon Set at the Selecta Stage for the hip hop trio from Bristol.
The Scribes are a multi award winning hip hop act whose unique blend of beatboxing, off the cuff freestyling, crowd participation and genre-spanning music has created a critically acclaimed live show quite unlike any other on the scene today, with appeal ranging far beyond traditional hip hop fare.
They have consistently proven to be an impressive and engaging live act with recent festival appearances at Latitude, Isle Of Wight, Glastonbury, Wireless, WOMAD, Electric Picnic (Ire), Wilderness, Shambala, Boomtown, Bearded Theory, Beautiful Days, Great Estate and many more, and are proud winners of both the Exposure Music Award’s “Best UK Urban Act” and the EatMusic Radio Award’s “Best Live Act”. The group have also provided original music for BBC and Channel 4 television, and are featured regularly on both national and local radio and media including BBC 1Xtra, BBC Radio 1 Introducing and BBC Radio 6 Music.
Find out more about the The Scribes by clicking here.
Headliner – Amplify
Amplify hits the Selecta stage!
Amplify is a Devon based Drum and bass DJ/Producer and also Label owner of Gradient Records .
Since his debut release landing in 2020, Amplify has landed a number of successful releases on credible labels such as Ram Records , Dnb Allstars , Low Down Seep. Making a huge impact on the scene is such a small time , he has track support from some of the scene’s top dogs including Pendulum , Sub Focus, A.M.C and more !
We can expect to see a high energy jump up set from this guy in the Selecta tent in June.
Find out more about Amplify by clicking here.
Olive F
House music talent taking the industry by storm headlines the Slade stage.
A muso through & through, Olive’s progression into music production and DJing has been entirely organic, following several summers in Ibiza and years of record-collecting. Refusing to conform to the norm, Olive lets her music do the talking, quickly established herself as one of the main residents of Darius Syrossian’s Moxy Muzik parties and leaving a big impression via recent sets at fabric and ADE.
Following a period of dedicated and focused studio time, Olive now has a stacked release schedule of productions, forthcoming on Moxy Muzik and Seven Dials, with collaborations with some of the scene’s big-hitters including Phil Weeks and Darius Syrossian, and plenty more action to come in the months ahead.
Find out more about Olive F by clicking here.
Dub Catalyst
Dub Catalysts
Dub Catalyst is a ten piece Reggae/Hip Hop band from the south west. They have been making significant waves on the UK festival scene since their inception in the Post Covid period. Their live performance and unique sound, a blend of classic reggae vibes, a large brass section and hip hop beats and scratching, has been turning heads whereever they perform.
In 2023 they made their debut on the UK Festival scene securing significant slots at respected events such as Lakefest, Nibley, Wychwood, and Witcombe. Whereever they perform the leave a lasting impression on audiences. Definitely one to watch!
Catch them in the Saloon stage – they are bound to get the place jumping!
Find out more about Dub Catalyst by clicking here.