For the final SESAC x Karousel Showcase of the year, and penultimate Karousel show, we’re excited to be doing our first show at the relocated and legendary Paper Dress Vintage in Hackney. Vintage clothes shop by day and venue by night, (you can still buy some cool togs between acts too!) the first location grew organically through great programming and treating musicians well, to become one of East London’s most cherished venues… music people through and through (Steve co-manages Public Service Broadcasting for a start.) Opposite Oslo and a ten second walk from Hackney Central – you’re going to love the vibe in there – great music, ace people, and a wide selection of beers and beverages.

/// TICKETS HERE – 100% of PROCEEDS GOES TO THE ACTS ///

/// SILENCES ///

One of the stars at the Reeperbahn Festival this year, we had to close the door on the 400 capacity headCRASH for safety reasons when Silences went on for the SESAC x Karousel showcase. And what a set it was. Beginning at the end of 2013, the Northern Irish quintet have thus far featured on the prestigious RTE ‘Other Voices’, received airplay for their singles ‘Sister Snow’ and ‘Santa Cruz’ on BBC Radio 1, were playlisted on Amazing Radio and have performed at Ireland’s largest festival ‘Electric Picnic’. Their first two EPs received critical acclaim and support from the likes of Phil Taggart(BBC), Huw Stephens (BBC), Phillip King (RTE) as well as numerous other music blogs and websites. More recently they were chosen by the British Council to feature in their ‘ UK Music On The Go’ campaign that heavily promoted 10 British artists including Young Fathers and Temples on buses and University campuses across 5 major cities in China. They will release their third EP before the end of the year.

“What makes Nevernames so absorbing is its lack of pretension or needless embellishment. It’s refreshing to find music that has that strength of character; if they continue on along this path, the sound of Silences will be heard for a long time yet.” GOLDENPLEC

“Populated by atmospheric soundscapes deftly arranged around stellar songwriting Sister Snow is a clear and confident evolution and realisation of the promise shown in Silences’ debut E.P. Nevernames, 9/10″ THE LAST MIXED TAPE

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/// TOM BAXTER ///

After a number one record in Ireland, top ten in the UK and deals with Sony/Columbia and EMI for Feather & Stone and Skybound, many of you will be no stranger to Tom. His track Miracle was used for the BBC’s final Beijing Olympic montage; My Declaration was covered by Eliza Bennett; and he’s even been covered by Dame Shirley Bassey who recorded one of our favourites, Almost There, and performed it with him during the BBC Electric Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. While that gives you an idea of the pedigree of his writing, as a performer he is knockout.

In our humble opinion, one of the great artists of his generation, capable both of an accessible pop song on the one hand, and a cerebral, philosophical and musically complex on the other. Tom is flawless live. Check out Better (the most requested wedding song in Ireland 4 out of the last 6 years) and My Declaration, and then get ready for the incredible new record, The Uncarved Block. If these nights are about anything, they’re about community and collaborative spirit, and we’re all about bringing together the best new music with some established stars. Delighted to have Tom appearing, he’s top class.

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/// RYAN BURNETT & THE VANGUARDS ///

One of the new faces of video game sensation Guitar Hero Live, Ryan arrives with some serious pedigree. With The Crave coming to an end in 2012 after 9 years of touring, Ryan took some time out to re evaluate his musical direction, taking him to Nashville in what was at first an alien environment but soon became a second home. The musicians out there tend to be on another level, and it’s impossible not to be inspired – the whole experience gave his hook writing skills and playing an adrenaline shot. Eventually he came back home with the idea of starting again as a solo project, but that didn’t last long. Now with the Vanguards, Featuring co-members who’ve been in bands such as The Kooks and The Ordinary Boys, their music has had classic comparisons to Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty, nay, someone said a ‘Modern-REM’, all the while printing their own modern stamp on a popular sound.

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/// SAMANTHA WHATES ///

Samantha Whates is one of those rare artists that ignites little bonfires beneath your ribcage and sings you something about yourself while the fire burns. A voice so warm and pure you’d be forgiven for thinking you were out in the wind wrapped up in merino wool and drowning in chocolate. For fans of acts like First Aid Kit, Nina Nastasia, Laura Viers and Susanna And The Magical Orchestra, Samantha is a lost piece of the jigsaw. She writes songs in a way that is precisely hers: Musically moving where she wants to go whenever she feels like it, and sometimes never coming back; while all the time lyrically drawing you a map and walking along beside you through her story. The much lauded Dark Nights Make For Brighter Days album, which she recorded live in a couple of days up in her native Scotland, is a sparkling, atmospheric, and emotionally brave record that drew nothing but praise from exactly the kind of people she’d want it from on BBC radio. Crucially, Samantha is one of those artists that also enjoys the endorsement of her peers – a real favourite on the live circuit. James Yorktson (a Mercury Music Prize nominee) described her as “a lovely surprise, her presence and songs made my evening, she’s a rare treat…”

Live, she has that knack of tying a squadron of helium balloons to the more serious songs by being so irrepressible and likeable in the moments between them. You won’t be the first to leave the show feeling like you just met your new best friend. The voice of the Barclays Premier League YouAreFootball TV and online advertising campaign – winning Best Bespoke Music in Advertising at the 2013 Shots Awards, her recent Trees & Gold/Icicle EP enjoyed extensive play on 6Music from the likes of Jarvis Cocker, Gideon Coe and Tom Robinson, as well as longstanding support from Bob Harris on Radio 2.

“…really, the most beautiful album…” – Bob Harris, Radio 2
“… just gorgeous…” – Tom Robinson – BBC 6 Music