UNLESS you’ve been living under a rock recently, you’ve probably heard the Laneway Festival lineup officially dropped last week for 2027.
Fontaines D.C. and Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams are leading the bill, alongside Kim Petras, MUNA, Rico Nasty, Slayyyter, Ninajirachi, DIIV and plenty more.
But while Bayside music fans might already be eyeing off tickets for the Brisbane Showgrounds next February, one local musician knows exactly what it feels like to step onto a Laneway stage.
Alexandra Hills-raised musician Andrew Tuttle performed at the Brisbane leg of Laneway Festival in 2015 on the Brisbane-specific Outpost Stage.
“It was a real thrill to perform as part of such a large event,” Tuttle said.
“Whilst the Outpost Stage that I performed on was a smaller, Brisbane-specific stage, I still definitely felt that sense of community that a touring festival has.”
Tuttle has since released multiple albums and toured nationally and internationally, although he said that was never necessarily the plan when he began making music.
“It has all been very much organic, but still something to look back on with pride,” he said.
His Redlands roots have continued to influence his work, with his 2020 album Alexandra, funded through a Redland City Council RADF grant, centred around rediscovering Alexandra Hills after spending time away.
“The local music scene was fairly small but tight when I was starting out,” he said.
And Tuttle may not be the last Redlands musician with the chance to make it onto a Laneway stage.
In recent years, Triple j Unearthed has run a competition giving emerging Australian artists the chance to perform at their local Laneway Festival.
Last year, Queensland artists with music uploaded to Triple j Unearthed were eligible, with Brisbane band Mid Drift ultimately selected to play the Queensland leg of the festival.
The Triple j Unearthed competition for Laneway 2027 hasn’t yet been announced, although last year’s competition opened on October 27 so local musicians may still have the chance to perform on the big stage.
For locals hoping to eventually see their own name on a major festival poster, Tuttle’s advice is simple.
“Be open to opportunities that might arise and always be friendly to the people you meet at your shows,” he said.
Laneway Festival will return to Brisbane Showgrounds on February 13, 2027.
