Saturday 25th July
Gearing up for an exciting day ahead, the first band I saw was ¡Ay Carmela! performing an acoustic set in the merchandise tent. The set was both calm and intimate, and the band played some tracks from their Dog Tired EP, released earlier this year. A personal highlight was ‘Don’t Congratulate Me (For My Mediocrity)’ because although it was stripped down, the guitars gave it a big presence.
Up next, I went to see the Spanish noise-pop duo Los Bonsais. Signed to Elefant Records, the band were refreshing as they sung in their native language, and backed that up with shoegaze influenced chorus on the guitars. They blasted through their set with some infectiously short songs, the sunny backdrop providing a relaxed atmosphere.
Mammoth Penguins, featuring former Standard Fare vocalist Emma Kupa, were on the sunny outdoor stage later. This was the perfect setting for them as they played a selection of tracks from their debut album, Hide and Seek. The musicianship was fluid and tight, embracing the heavier side of indie-pop resulting in an enthusiastic reception from the audience.
It was then off to the indoor stage to see Tigercats. After emerging in 2012 with debut album Isle of Dogs, they released the more mature Mysteries in February on Fortuna Pop! Records. The set was mostly dominated from the latter album, and it was full of energy, with members of the audience singing every word, particularly during ‘Wheezer’ and fan favorite ‘Full Moon Reggae Party’. The band were additionally strengthened by guest saxophonist Emma Cooper, who helped maximize their sound and brought positive vibes in the audience.
The fact that Colleen Green was playing at Indietracks shwed how diverse the line-up was. The Los-Angeles based singer has enhanced her reputation through her third album I Wanna Grow Up gaining critical acclaim. This was further demonstrated by the amount of people watching her set in the summery evening. Consisting of a drum machine, power chords, and grunge-influenced distortion reminiscent of Veruca Salt, her soft stunning vocals contrasted nicely with the heaviness of the guitars. Tracks such as ‘I Wanna Grow Up’ and ‘Pay Attention’ demonstrated this perfectly, and while it could have been more beneficial to have a drummer onstage, it was a thrilling set.
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart returned to headline Indietracks for the first time since 2010 and got the crowd going with some older tracks including ‘Heart in Your Heartbreak’, ‘Belong’, and ‘Come Saturday’. The atmosphere was brilliant, however a very unexpected cover of ‘Laid’ by James was confusing. On the whole though, it was a lovely set that embodied the spirit of the festival.