Getting older isn’t fun in some regards, especially when you’re around those who seem to get younger every year. For many of us who have covered FPSF more than five times, the lineups are usually filled with some names we know and some we have no idea about. While this year was filled with plenty of names I wasn’t familiar with, the festival itself was far better than what we experienced last year. This year I was more than thrilled to catch no less than about half of the acts, but factors like Lil Uzi Vert cancelling and the weather conditions meant that I wouldn’t get to experience more than the sets that opened each day. But, that’s okay, too, as the festival itself has grown by leaps and bounds and in a more positive way. Overall, given the hand the organizers were dealt with the weather, I felt like this year was a great warm up for a festival that could easily be on the right path to something larger in years to come — as long as it happens on a drier weekend.

Bishop Briggs. Photo: Jacob Nicholie

The best way to break down the two days is to break things down in categories, so let’s begin with the lineup. I’m 41, on the way to 42, and while I heard some rumblings about displeasure with the lineup, it was actually on scale for what you’d want if you were in your early twenties. I’m not the demographic for this festival, but my age group never was from the start. If you were in your forties when the 2013 festival rolled around, there’s a ninety percent chance that you had no clue how big of a deal it was to have Bassnectar, The Postal Service, and TV On The Radio on the lineup. Also, with the exception of 2013, the lineups for FPSF have never ever really been this mind blowing thing, even when this publication had involvement in it. Lorde is one of the most respected and talented newer artists going, and I think it’s tone deaf not to accept that she is an amazing headliner for a festival of this size. The same could be said about Tove Lo, Solange, Cage The Elephant, Lil Uzi Vert, Charli XCX and Aminé. The fact is that I was ready to catch the headliners, and I’m honestly a little sad that I missed them.

What I did see were locals, and that’s pretty much it minus a set from killer set from Trill Sammy. The locals I caught on day one were -Us., Rose Ette, and Khruangbin.  -Us. was definitely there to put on a show and he did just that with a groove heavy set that made those who caught him get down like they were catching someone who had stopped in town on tour. Rose Ette brought their pop infused indie rock to a nice sized crowd that had no problem singing along with them, like ardent and hardened fans. While Khruangbin is a band that I’ve never found myself gravitating towards, their blend of funk jams were a noteworthy part of my first day. The set from Trill Sammy wasn’t what I was expecting, though his energy and involvement with the crowd proved that he knew a strong festival set would earn him plenty of fans.  

Crowds at FPSF. Photo: Jacob Nicholie

On day two I got there early to catch the tail end of Miears, who played her synth heavy jams to a nice crowd that braved the muddy entrance to the Mercury stage just to see her. Miears has always been a crowd pleaser from her days in BLSHS to this new part of her career as a solo act, and her songs hit with precision that made me even want to get down as I watched from outside of the mud pit. I also caught a small glimpse of the Bang Bangz set that had been cut short, though the performance seemed to resonate with those who were in attendance. The Wheel Workers seemed to really relish the larger aspects of the Neptune stage, as they dropped new tracks and played like they were seasoned veterans of the festival circuit. After they performed, I caught dance bangers Night Drive as they made the best of the muddy landscape around Mercury and dropped a groove heavy set for everyone around the festival grounds. Then, as we regrouped catching a bit of The Bad Suns and Stick Figure, we made our way back to the media tents to see what was up with the weather. 

When you cover festivals, you know the signs to look out for, as well as what apps will keep you up to date. As many of us in media realized quickly, something big and bad was headed towards Eleanor Tinsley Park, and it wasn’t going to just pass over quickly either. My weather app was saying to keep an eye out as was the ominous cloud that was getting closer and closer to the festival grounds. What would eventually happen, as on the day before, was that the festival grounds would get evacuated. I left, but it was because of the fact that there’s nowhere really near the park to go if this happens. While I wanted to catch the bigger acts of the day like Aminé, Charli XCX, Solange, and Lorde, the not-knowing makes the trek back to your car hard to navigate, so I just went home. What anyone who reads this should know is that the weather isn’t something festival groups can control, and I promise that they have no interest in evacuating a festival unless it’s in the best interests of those attending as far as safety goes. While last year we were treated a bit like cattle, this year the organizers from Pegstar and C3 were much more calm and collected and were pretty chill about letting us pack up and head off of the grounds.

Cage The Elephant. Photo: Jacob Nicholie

As far as how things have grown for the better, I felt that things ran a lot smoother, from the media side of things to the overall feel of each day. The set times stayed on schedule minus the weather, the organization of the layout made a lot more sense, and the way they treated media and attendees felt like they had everything figured out and ready with solutions if problems arose. One of the best ideas I saw were the lockers. If you were in media, you were offered up a locker with a phone charger inside for your use, and if you were an attendee, you were offered one for $35. I honestly felt like this was one of the best ideas I’ve seen in all the years I’ve gone to festivals, and a feature I’d love to see more festivals employ. Another great feature was the food from The Pass & Provisions and the Houston Eats side of things, that offered up festival ready food and some hometown pride at the same time.

The truth is that with the weather as the one exception, it looks like this festival could grow into what we as Houstonians have always wanted to see it become. In fact, after having to cancel the remainder of the festival, it makes sense that this festival cannot proceed to occur on the current timeline that it’s currently held. The dates will have to be changed to avoid problems due to inclement weather as it did this year, and in many years past, if it is to move forward and grow. However, on the scale of how festivals go, FPSF could become something bigger than it’s been if they keep things on track like they were this year. With a more streamlined setup and larger names on the festival, the days of FPSF being a smaller festival could be coming to an end. And while I still feel like there’s a less rainy time of the summer to have this festival take place, the changes involved are just those of a festival on the up-and-up, while the rest of us have to be ready for change and all that comes with it.

If you’re planning to start an indie rock band with pop sensibilities, it’s definitely a road that’s cluttered with bands that have plenty of steam behind them, so you had better stand out. Standing out, however, has never really been a problem for Houston’s Rose Ette. Forming a bit over three years ago, the band that initially felt like a side project has gained more than enough traction since this time last year. Even after lineup changes and having to bow out of a festival due to remarks made by the festival’s owner, Rose Ette has done things their own way while expanding on what feels like a growing fan base with each and every show they play. Free Press Houston spoke to the band about what they’ve been up lately, as well as what they have planned for FPSF and beyond.

Free Press Houston:  The band has two releases, the latter being a cassette single or “cassingle.” Are you the only current band in Houston with a cassette single that you know of?

Rose Ette: The cassingle was a fun way to release something new while we work on new material. We’re definitely not on the only band in town releasing tape singles. MiddleChild and Newport American Dream both released cassingles before we dropped ours, and likely plenty of others.

FPH: You recorded with John Allen Stephens formerly of New York City Queens for the single. Can you describe what it was like working with him and did he have any new ideas for the songs while they were being recorded?

Rose Ette: Working with John was great and he had a lot of ideas about how to realize the tone we had in mind for the songs. Being familiar with our home demos, he knew our songs and understood the direction we wanted to go as a band. Essentially, he helped us achieve a sound Matt from BunnyGrunt described as “a basement-punk Lush,” a description we can definitely get behind.

FPH:  The band contains members of other acts and former acts that all have touring experience. Are there any plans to tour anytime soon?

Rose Ette: We’ll probably hit road once we have a full length release out. We’ve been playing shows in Austin and Galveston this year, but we’re primarily focusing on writing new material and hashing out new ideas. Collectively, we do have a lot of tour experience and we have some plans for next year, but nothing we can disclose just yet.

FPH: You’ve been on a multitude of shows in both large and small venues, while gaining a strong following. Is there a venue that you don’t see the band performing in?

Rose Ette: We’re pretty much down to play most venues, but if their policies or politics conflict with those of our band members, that’s where we draw the line. The safety of our fans is much more important than any show, big or small.

FPH:  The band seems to really know your audience, with merch items like scarves and enamel pins, as well as cassette releases.  Are there ever times when a fan approaches you that you’re surprised by?

Rose Ette: We have a wide range of fans and are super grateful for all of them. It’s humbling that we’ve gained such a fan base in our home town.

It’s true the items we at our merch table aren’t typical band merch, but it’s great our weird ideas have gone over so well. We’re always trying to think outside of the box since there’s a lot more bands can do than t-shirts and CDs.

FPH: This will be the first festival for the band, though you’ve all played on other festivals in other projects. Do you have any tricks up your sleeve for your FPSF set, or will you just go out and play your usual set?

Rose Ette: We always have plenty of tricks up our sleeves and we’ll definitely have something special for FPSF, but you’ll have to catch our set.

There’s no doubt that the band has plenty of tricks up their sleeves when they engage the attendees of FPSF like everyone who catches them perform. You can hear Rose Ette here, buy merch from them here, and follow them here. The four piece will bring their pop infused indie rock to all in attendance at this year’s FPSf when the festival makes its return to Eleanor Tinsley Park. While Rose Ette is set to perform at 12:10 pm on the Saturn stage on Saturday June 3, the festival is set to take place June 3 and 4. With performances from Lorde, The Shins, Solange and more, the all ages festival has doors at 11 am each day and tickets between $148 and $999.

Well, it’s that time of year again, when downtown becomes the backdrop for FPSF. While the likes of Lorde, Solange, and more will all be in town for the festival, that doesn’t mean that it’s the only game in town. Performances from JMSN, Dressy Bessy, and Deicide will all be here as well while locals like Cool Moon, The Cops and more fill in the gaps. Houston, here’s what you should be doing this week.

On Wednesday you could get started over at Discovery Green for the Party on The Plaza series, this time featuring the music of Nick Gaitan. Gaitan has been the leader of bands like Umbrella Man, as well as bassist for Billy Joe Shaver and most recently Nikki Hill, and he’s a not to be missed act. The jazz infused Latin rock of Nico Diaz will be on hand as opener for the free and all ages show getting started around 5 pm.

The Cops. Photo: Trie Blair Fulco

If that’s not your thing then you could head to Walter’s for VHS Night: Cop Night with The Cops. That’s right, a live set from Houston punks The Cops will take place after two cop movies are shown on a big screen. There’s also a VHS swap meet of sorts, free donuts, and more for the all ages event getting going with doors at 7 pm and more information, here.

Over at Continental Club, the high energy rockabilly of The Delta Bombers will swing by to perform. These guys are known for their crazed live sets, and their latest release The Delta Bombers sounds like a time warped infusion of rock, swing, and rockabilly. The four piece will be playing without a support act for the 21 & up show with doors at 9 pm and a $10 cover.

Nathan Quick. Photo: Sherita Perez

Thursday you could begin at Presidio when Houston singer songwriter Nathan Quick will stop by to play on the big patio. Quick has been changing up his sound as of late, returning to a more intimate and bluesy sound with last year’s The Sound. The show gets going around 6 pm, it’s all ages, and it’s 100% FREE.

There’s something crazy happening at Improv where Val Kilmer will be on hand to introduce his one man play, “Cinema Twain.” I know, that sounds bizarre, but it’s true. Often referred to by many myths, Kilmer has been acting a long time, and this film covering his one man play about Mark Twain should be nothing if not interesting. The one night only event is 18 & up with doors at 6:30 pm and tickets between $30 and $70.

You might rather head to Nightingale Room when Houston’s Hescher swings by to drop his dark electronica. Hescher is definitely different, but not a stranger to the Houston scene, and while I’ve only heard good things about his live shows, his single “Scarlet Shell” is definitely worth checking out. The electro pop jams of Rex Hudson will open the $10 show for 21 & up patrons with doors at 7 pm.

Deicide. Photo: Continental Concerts

Down at Scout Bar, the heavy and brutal death metal of Deicide will be here to play their scary sounds. The controversial band has been blowing ear drums since the early nineties, they’re pretty intense to see live, and their latest release In The Minds of Evil from four years ago still holds up. There’s no word of openers or direct support, but that should change on the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $12 and $17.

Walter’s will have the anti-racist Oi Skinhead punks, Booze & Glory by to drop a set. These guys have been making London shake for a good while, and they’ve become well known for their crazed energy when they play live. Their mix of rock, punk, and Oi music is pretty impressive, and their latest Chapter IV is London through and through. Houston’s The Velostacks will bring their leather punk on as direct support while the Skinhead hardcore of Houston’s Thug Boots will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $10 and $12.

On Friday if you had planned to get started with the Summer Breeze festival when it gets kicked off over at La Playa, the Friday kick off show has since been cancelled.

Trout Fishing In America. Photo: Don House

Mucky Duck has the funny antics and fun sounds of Trout Fishing In America over to the intimate venue. The acoustic folk rock duo from Houston has been delighting audiences since the late seventies, and their shows are a mix of funny songs and serious licks. Their newest album, The Strangest Times returns the band to their original duo sound. The 21 & up show has doors at 7 pm and tickets between $25 and $28.

Rudyard’s will have Houston’s The Dead Rabbits over to perform their blend of Irish folk meets punk. While the band plays in the vein of bands like Flogging Molly, their Celtic punk sounds are pretty fun and full of energy. The bluesy stoner sounds of Stonework will be on as direct support while the punk of The Unconvicted will go on prior. The insane one man band intensity of D. Kosmo will open the 21 & up show with doors at 7 pm and a TBA cover.

Kimi Kent. Photo: Rachel Lynn Photo

Over in the Foundation Room at House of Blues, you can catch the folky sounds of Houston’s Kimi Kent and Tyler Lucas. With both backed by a full band, each has a sound that’s worth making it out for. Kent has a more blues pop sound full of lush vocals all over her debut, Wayward Child EP, that really showcases her larger than life sound. Lucas has a more singer songwriter sound that’s impressive as well. The 21 & up show has doors at 8 pm and it’s 100% FREE.

The Armadillo Palace will host the birthday party for Houston guitar slinger The Mighty Orq when he headlines a set with his backing band The Unusuals. Orq is definitely an act that every person in this town should check out. While his skills on a six string are fairly unmatched, the good time jams from his latest release To The Bone are hard to deny. Deep voiced singer songwriter John Egan will be on hand as direct support and opener, and he’s a guy you shouldn’t sleep on. His latest album, last year’s Magnolia City sounds like it was recorded on the Delta, complete with some guitar that’d make Muddy Waters proud. The 21 & up show has doors at 8 pm and tickets for $10.

Lil Uzi Vert. Photo: Paradigm Agency

Things on Saturday could begin with an early morning trip to Eleanor Tinsley Park for this year’s FPSF. Opening with sets from Houston’s Camera Cult and Kay Weathers on different stages, the two day festival has a pretty stacked day one. Performances from Deep Cuts, -Us, Rose Ette, and Khruangbin will fill up the early hours of the festival before sets from Hurray for the Riff Raff, Cashmere Cat and Lil Uzi Vert happen later. The first day of the festival is capped off with performances from Grouplove, Post Malone, Cage The Elephant and more for the all ages event that has gates at 11 am and tickets between $148 and $999.

If you’d rather keep things on a more grassroots scale, then the Summer Breeze fest over at Walter’s is probably more your thing. With performances from a slew of punk bands, the technically second day of the fest should be a doozy with a headlining performance from Olympia punks Gag. These guys have been called everything from magnetic to hardcore heroes, and tracks like “Locker Room” should give you an idea of their intensity. Sets from Sexpill, The Secret Prostitutes, The Pose and many more will also be on hand. The whole lineup is available here for the all ages show with a $20 cover or two day pass for $30 and doors at 4:30 pm.

Over at Mucky Duck, the jazz infused Americana of Austin’s Phoebe Hunt will be in town to bring her energy heavy tunes to life. Here to support her newest album which doesn’t get released until the day prior to this show, you can get a feel of her twangy goodness from her last release Walk With Me. The 21 & up show has doors at 7 pm and tickets between $20 and $22.

JMSN. Photo: Orienteer PR

Later on at White Oak Music Hall upstairs, the sexy jams of Detroit’s JMSN will swing by to melt hearts with his sultry tunes. Possibly one of the tightest performers I’ve seen in a good while, this guy dropped It Is last year only to follow it up with Whatever Makes You Happy this year, both of which are full of killer tunes. The soulful jams of Quin will be on as direct support, and she is rumored to be amazing to see in person. The R&B of Canada’s alcordo will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets for $15.

Satellite Bar will have the folky electro pop of DC’s Pueblo by to perform. These two make songs that sound like if Dusty Springfield and Air made tracks together. They’ll be here in support of their latest Boring The Camera from this year. Houston’s Alex Riddle will be on as direct support while the folk rock of Grisbee will open the 18 & up show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $8 and $10.

On William Street, Terraform will return with another unofficial after FPSF party. This edition will feature sets from BRKCHK, gonner, Kunai, and many more. With sound and lights from Lynchpin Audio and an open bar all night, the event should be a banger from start to finish. The doors are at 9 pm, there’s a $10 cover, with address info and lineup here.

Charli XCX. Photo: Paradigm Agency

On Sunday day two of FPSF will get underway with a closing set from New Zealand’s Lorde. The singer songwriter has been turning heads since her dissociative single “Royals” blew up and rocketed her to stardom. Lorde brings a lot to the table, as David Bowie was and the remains of Nirvana are all fans of her work, and with a new album on the horizon, this performance should be full of new songs. That shouldn’t overshadow the fact that Solange will also bring her lovely tunes to the festival, as will The Shins, Portugal The Man, Cheat Codes, and Charli XCX alongside others. The day gets kicked off with early sets from MIEARS, Bang Bangz, The Wheel Workers, Hiram, and Night Drive as well. The all ages event has gates at 11 am and tickets between $148 and $999.

Discovery Green and Wonky Power will team up to bring you a new concert series called Sundays in The Park. This opening edition will feature the indie rock sounds of Houston’s Vodi. Full of lush tones and energy, Vodi is a great way to chill and get excited at the same time in the Summer sun. The all ages show gets going around 4 pm and it’s 100% FREE.

You might want to swing by Walter’s for day two of the Summer Breeze fest, as the second day is just as stacked as the first. With a headlining set from Austin d-beat punks Impalers, Houston’s Skourge, Dress Code and more, things should be insane from start to finish. The whole lineup is here for the all ages event with doors at 4:30 pm and a $20 cover, or a $30 two day pass.

In the studio at Warehouse Live, the hip hop meets pop sounds of San Antonio’s Austin Mahone will be here to drop a set. Mahone makes the kind of songs that stick in your head, while having a personae that he takes to the stage. His latest, For Me+You from last year has gained plenty of steam, and his live show is worth checking out. The R&B of Atlanta’s The YRS will be on as direct support and openers for the all ages show with doors at 6:30 pm and tickets between $25 and $27.50.

Monday you could head over to The Secret Group to catch a set from Houston rapper Kay Jay. since running through a rough patch that included a little time behind bars, this guy has turned his life around and kind of makes moves that’ll make your head spin. With his latest release Seize The Day, Kay Jay has features with Devin the Dude while his last single with Paul Wall “Live For Today,” hits hard. New Trill will open the all ages show with doors at 7:30 pm and a measly $5 cover.

Walter’s will be bringing the no frills and straight ahead rock of The Split Squad to town. Featuring members like Clem Burke of Blondie, this five piece makes music that’s reminiscent of the past without sounding dated, and their debut Now Her This… is pretty epic. The highly energetic and fun sounds of Denver’s Dressy Bessy will be on as direct support and their latest Kingsized sounds better live. There’s no word of openers for the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $12 and $15.

Gouge Away. Photo: Zack Rogers

Tuesday you can head to The White Swan to catch Florida’s Gouge Away. Possibly one the most impressive sets I’ve seen from a direct support band before, their last time in Houston opening for Ceremony was amazing. Their newest release, Swallow is hardcore greatness, and their intense show is worth making it out for. Houston’s History Repeats will be on as direct support with Shallow going on beforehand. Things get opened up by DAZE for the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and and $8 cover.

Over at Walter’s the sunny bedroom pop of New York’s Adult Mom will swing by to perform. With critical acclaim and a rumored energetic show, this four piece should be worth making it out for. It doesn’t hurt that their latest release, this year’s Soft Spots is catchy and fun. The indie pop of Philadelphia’s Free Cake For Every Creature will be on as direct support while the energetic indie rock of Houston’s Cool Moon will go on beforehand. Things will get opened by the indie folk of Greg Cote & the Real Life Friends for the all ages show with a $10 cover and doors at 8 pm.

That’s about all that’s happening this week. No matter what you decide to do, please be mindful of others and remember that a safe ride home is just an app away.

In music today there are multiple versions of genres, that the phrase sub-genre doesn’t really apply. With electro pop, or shoegaze, or even singer songwriter genres, you can think of artists almost immediately. With an artist like Kay Weathers, there’s pretty no way to put your finger on what sound she could be categorized with. Mixing elements of electro pop, indie rock, and pop; her sets are usually a mix of one woman performing by herself with multiple layered tracks while she sings and plays guitar. On her debut EP, last year’s Songs For Lucy, she pushed the bounds of multiple genres while offering up one of the prettiest releases of the year. Now with a set at this year’s FPSF, the solo artist will delight all who catch her perform. Free Press Houston sat down with her to get her take on her sound as well as see what she has up her sleeves for the festival.

Free Press Houston:  Your music is essentially electro pop with guitar and loops.  What genre would you call your music exactly?

Kay Weathers: This is a tough question. I have no idea. I can list tons of bands that have influenced me, but I can’t tell you what I sound like. I’d like to think it’s psych/shoegaze pop? Seriously, I’m stumped.

FPH:  You write, perform, and create all of your music by yourself.  Was that always the plan to do it solo or was it just easier than getting a band together?

Weathers: I actually only write the guitar parts and lyrics. I definitely help choose what other sounds are in each song, but I have to give Josh Applebee credit for the finished products. I didn’t really have a plan on having a band or not. I’ve worked with multiple very talented people in the past, but playing solo is definitely right for me. It is easier in terms of getting everyone together for shows or practice.

FPH:  The debut, Songs For Lucy, was made here in Houston, between staying in Louisiana in a back and forth weekend thing.  Was there ever a time when you questioned why you were travelling so much to make a record when you could’ve worked with a studio in Louisiana instead?

Weathers: No way. Josh is incredible. He’s extremely talented and has a heart of gold. I enjoy working with him very much. As for the drive, I don’t mind it. I have a lot of friends in Houston and love that I can see them as often as I can.

FPH:  I know that the title of the album refers to your cat, Lucy.  Can you explain where that came from and why you chose that as the title?

Weathers: Lucy is my audience. Whenever I write or practice, she jumps on a pa speaker and goes to sleep. I think all my songs are for her.

FPH:  I know you’ve started work on a follow up release, is there a release date for that yet and have you been playing the songs out live at all?

Weathers: I think I’ll keep this one a secret for now.

FPH:  Your live shows are always deep and filled with varying lights and projections while you play guitar over looped tracks.  For the larger stages of FPSF, have you got anything planned to mix things up for your set?

Weathers: I do have some ideas. You’ll have to be there to find out!

You can find out what Kay Weathers will do at this year’s FPSF when she performs on the Saturn stage at 11:10 am on Saturday June 3. The two day festival that features performances from Lorde, The Shins, Solange, Cage The Elephant and many more will make its return to Eleanor Tinsley Park on June 3 and 4. The all ages event with gates opening at 11 am has tickets between $148 and $999.

The world of electronica is pretty stacked nowadays, making the route to getting noticed more and more about what you do on stage, it seems. For Houston’s Camera Cult, they pretty much just throw a party every time they perform and the room just gets down to their danceable jams. With two solid singles on vinyl under their belt and more on the way, the three-piece includes live instrumentation and is much like a mix of Disclosure meets ABBA. This year they’ve been added to the lineup of FPSF, and the festival is much better for it. Free Press Houston was more than happy to find out more about the trio’s past, present, and future.

Free Press Houston:  You guys have been together for about two and a half years, are you all from Houston?

Camera Cult: Yeah, David and I [Ricky] were born and raised here. Our current live drummer, Isaac, is actually from Minnesota, but he’s been here forever now.

FPH:  Your music sounds like dreamy synth pop from the ’80s made with modern instrumentation. Was that the goal when you started or just kind of what happened?

Camera Cult: When we first started that’s what we were going for. After awhile we just stopped focusing on trying to sound ’80s and started writing however we were inspired at the moment. It’s all mostly pop though.

FPH:  You have two singles out that sound like dance party bangers. Do you have any plans for a full length album anytime soon or are you going to stick to singles for now?

Camera Cult: No full length in the foreseeable future yet. We plan to release more singles this year. We don’t wanna give away everything we have all at once.

FPH:  Your live shows seem to almost always turn into a party where everyone in attendance, including the band, is getting down to your music. Are you guys big fans of the dance genre or does your music just take over and get you moving?

Camera Cult: I think the main goal when we made this band was to make music that gets people moving. We were inspired by all kinds of dance music. Disco, synth pop, rap/hip hop, old music, new music, and whatever we felt was fun. I think that translates to our music cause we don’t really have any slow songs.

FPH:  You seem to really be having a great time when you play, does it ever feel like a job or is it always about fun?

Camera Cult: Definitely always about fun. I mean, we hate having to load all of our gear from our rehearsal room, to the van, to stage, and back again, but it’s always worth it when we get to play for people who enjoy our music and support what we do.

FPH:  This is your first festival, correct? Do you have anything special planned for your set at FPSF?

Camera Cult: Yeah this our first big festival. We’re gonna play some new material for sure. We’ve also been working on keeping our set flowing the whole time without any pauses between songs. Whether we have a big crowd or not, we’re gonna perform like there’s no tomorrow, setting the standard for future Camera Cult shows.

There’s absolutely no reason for you to miss these guys when they light up the stage at FPSF this year. With unbelievably catchy songs and a fun live show, they should kick the festival off better than most. You can catch Camera Cult for their set at FPSF on Saturday June 3 at 11:10 am at the Mercury Stage. The all ages festival that runs June 3 and 4, will have gates open at 11 am, and will make its return to Eleanor Tinsley Park. Tickets run between $148 and $999 depending on how fancy you want to make your experience, with a headlining set from Lorde alongside performances from Solange, The Shins, Tove Lo, Charli XCX, and many more.