North By Northeast
For almost 30 years, Canada’s leading music discovery festival, North by Northeast (NXNE) has been integral in identifying new talent and opening doors for artists on the brink of their big break.
Artists such as Lizzo, Grimes, Run the Jewels, Daniel Caesar, Feist, The Weeknd, The Beaches, Billy Talent, Arkells, Sam Roberts, The Lumineers and thousands more have all played intimate, NXNE gigs early in their careers. The legendary festival announces the first round of emerging Canadian and international artists invited to perform at the 29th annual event set to take over Toronto’s best live music venues from June 12-16, 2024.
With a commitment to presenting an unparalleled musical journey for their audience, every year, the dedicated team of NXNE programmers curate a diverse and dynamic lineup of some of the most promising musical acts from Canada and around the world. This year promises to be the most diverse lineup the festival has seen to date. Having received over 2500 applications, the festival programmers have spent months immersing themselves in the music and evaluating each submission meticulously to create a lineup where there is truly something for everyone.
“We’re hearing magic in the music submissions," says NXNE President Michael Hollett. "June can't come fast enough. We're thrilled to unveil the exceptional talent. We’re handpicking 250+ artists from 2,500 applications to grace the summer festival with amazing music." The selection process goes beyond just the music itself; the programming team delve deep into understanding the artist's unique vibe and style, they strategize on identifying the venues that align seamlessly with their artistic expression and aim to create an immersive experience for both the performers and the audience. Artists from Australia, Norway, the UK, Mexico, South Africa, Morocco and across the US and Canada are represented in this first wave of showcasing artists.
Some of the highlights from this announcement include Toronto eclectic folk-rock singer-songwriter Talia Schlanger, Halifax, NS queer alt-folk duo Pillow Fite, Hamilton’s Soft-Shell Modern Yacht Rock band Ten Minute Detour, Vancouver-based afro-soul band Serengeti, London, ON’s multi-instrumentalist, composer and performer John Fellner, Calgary singer-songwriter Victory, Toronto singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Dawson Gamble, Brooklyn pop-rockers Strawberry Launch, queer singer-songwriter Holly Clausius, Toronto’s alt-pop AIKO TOMI and Boston’s art pop band Little Fuss. With an always artist-centric approach, and emphasis on accessibility and inclusion, NXNE strives to make its mark by empowering and supporting artists through connection, education and most importantly providing performers with a forum to play. Unlike many other, similar, festivals, NXNE has been committed to reducing financial barriers for people to both create and consume music by not charging performers to apply, ensuring artists get paid for their performances and keeping festival passes at the same price as when the festival first launched in 1995
NXNE is collaborating with the festival's supporting sponsors this year, which include, Ontario Creates, City of Toronto Music Office, Long & McQuade, Slaight Music, Seth & Riley’s Garage Hard Lemonade, Queen Street West BIA, Visit Mississauga, Music Export Memphis, CIMA, Microforum, NEWM, PlayMPE, Indie88, NEXT Magazine, Corporation of the City of Brampton, Pop Montreal, Lovetown Records, Crank Coffee Co, Inside Out Film Festival, Jade Music Festival .
Website: www.nxne.com