More about: Focus Wales

Just weeks before Wrexham’s annual Focus Festival is set to begin, the border town is buoyed by the news that it’s been shortlisted for the UK’s 2025 City of Culture bid. Focus, it seems, is the crown jewel in Wrexham’s bid and as thousands flock to the town for the event, it’s easy to see why. Across four days, some of the brightest stars from Wales and beyond descend on the Welsh town and in the process prove to be some of the most interesting and imaginative artists of their generation.

A Wednesday BBC Introducing showcase embodies the maxim of start as you mean to go on. An eclectic set of indie pop, rock and punk provides a thrilling look into what’s to come. In the filled out Parish pub, Cardiff five-piece Telgate channel a classic rock aesthetic a la Joan Jett and Hole, with the sound and talents to match. The band turn the energy up to a 10 immediately and refuse to relent across the following 30+ minutes - front-person Casper James is a showstopper, exuding confidence and capable of letting out the sort of show-stopping wail that signals a future rock great. Similarly impressive are Swansea’s own French Alps Tiger, who combine the righteous fury of post-punk with the irresistible riff of 90s alt-rock and end their set with a hilarious portrait of their hometown - fit with an essential reference to the infamous Wind (“Wine”) Street. 

The majority of festival-goers arrive on Thursday - a day that’s far from lacking in terms of highlights. Wrexham’s own Cara Hammond brings an intoxicating quiet power during her evening set - buoyed by little more than an acoustic guitar and a voice that is alternately lilting and staggeringly powerful, she sings songs that are filled with personality and charm and, solidifies herself as one of Wales most exciting up-and-comers. 

After Hammond’s stunning set, one has to rush to Llwyn Isaf to catch what is perhaps the night’s most anticipated act, Public Service Broadcasting. The four-piece, who craft music around an array of instruments including everything from electronic instruments to guitars and drums to a flugelhorn and vibraslap, offer perhaps the most invigorating performance of the weekend. Telling meaningful stories whose subject matter ranges from space discovery to the coal miner’s strike, it’s clear that this is the work of a hugely ambitious band. Though, obvious points of comparison would be the works of Daniel Lopatin (aka Oneohtrix Point Never) and Reflektor-era Arcade Fire, there’s truly no band who sound quite like them - and certainly aren’t any who can move so effortlessly between soundscapes. After Public Service Broadcasting, the night’s other big draw is Gwenno - who performs solo on stage with a quieter set, but one that leaves a similarly great impression. An experienced stage performer of two decades, her set - which is sung largely in Cornish and Welsh - entrances the crowd and is emblematic of the cultural appreciation that Focus Wales seeks to elevate. 

For many, Focus 2022 is the first festival they’ve been to since COVID hit the UK a little over two years ago and the anticipation is palpable - there’s a real sense that everyone is trying to make the most of the weekend as possible; packing in as many events as one’s schedule will allow, staying up to watch the night’s very last acts and taking time to explore the now-bustling city centre. 

Friday’s jam-packed line-up couldn’t be better fitted to an audience of people chomping at the bit for the sort of invigorating performances that remind you of what originally made you fall in love with live music to begin with. Rebecca Lucy Taylor - who performs under the name Self Esteem - is the main attraction tonight, after delivering the most acclaimed album of 2021. An experienced and seemingly effortlessly confident stage performer, she delivers a set of life-affirming capital-p Pop songs; the sort packed with heartfelt empowering messages, but whose greatest strength is their giant hooks and earworm choruses. Preceding Taylor are Pip Blom; a Dutch quartet, whose rocking live set does away with some of the band’s poppier studio tendencies and goes a great way to proving their versatility as performers. 

Another highlight on Friday night is Georgia Ruth - who delivers a transcendent set of harp and acoustic-guitar driven singer-songwriter music. Deceptively simple, her music recalls the homespun charm of Joanna Newsom’s Y’s and Cassandra Jenkin’s An Overview on Phenomenal Nature. Performing in the same location as Ruth, a little earlier in the night, is London-based trio Deep Tan - a genre-bending group who add a mesmerising psychedelic edge to the sounds of rock and post-punk. Fronted by the enigmatic Wafah Dufour, they’re the sort of band who make festivals like this worthwhile - the sort of band who, after their set, you can’t possibly believe you’d never heard of until this moment. 

On Saturday - the last day of the festival - the mood initially feels more subdued; the music is quieter and more subtle. Art School Girlfriend delivers a set of indie rock songs with strong pop sensibilities incorporated - tying in influences from indie stalwarts like Sharon Van Etten and dream pop innovators like Beach House and Mazzy Star. Gintis, meanwhile deliver a charming set of acoustic-rockers that speak broadly to the malaise of recent times, and sonically recalls the nostalgic charm of late 2000s and early 2010s rock music. But, as the night goes on, it’s clear that the fiery energy that defined the festival's first few days remains undiminished, with one of the night’s final acts, Swansea’s Bandicoot, offering a righteously angry set of rock tunes that leave absolutely nothing on the table. It’s a fittingly thrilling highpoint to ring out the end of four nights of live performances from music’s best and brightest rising stars.

See all the photos from the weekend by Jonny Nolan below:

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More about: Focus Wales