Outer Waves Festival 2025 Preview

Since the days of the Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia, it’s been somewhere between fallow and diminishing returns where left-of-centre festivals on Merseyside are concerned.

That’s no diss to those who have tried to curate similar events. Not just here but all across the world, creative spaces are being washed away by the tidal wave of gentrification, whereby those behind any kind of artistic endeavour are on a hiding to nothing.

Coupled with the COVID pandemic and rising living costs, these factors have severely fractured DIY communities. (QUARRY, the latest Liverpool venue and arguably the city’s most vital underground cultural hub, the latest to suffer and having to relocate.)

It’s why Outer Waves, the new Liverpool festival, is one that feels timely. The city really needs something of its ilk, and you just hope the festival’s first edition – curated by co-founders Joel Murray, Laura Cotter and Chrissy Connor – can be a springboard for something that is a mainstay for years to come.

Set to take place at the Invisible Wind Factory and Make Liverpool on May 24 and 25, Outer Waves boasts a range of acts hailing locally, up and and down the U.K., and beyond.

Alongside Paris-based veterans Gong, Liverpool’s experimental juggernaut, Ex-Easter Island Head, will headline the event, while the undercard is equally strong, including Manchester’s Mandy, Indiana, Newcastle folk drone exponent, Smote and London no-wave noise unit, Sly & The Family Drone. There are local favourites, too, featuring Claire Welles, Sara Wolff, ex-LONESAW featuring acts, Those Holy and Jezebel plus much more.

Last month, festival co-founder Murray answered some questions about the inaugural event, the inspirations behind Outer Waves and the curation of its first line-up.

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Sun 13: What was the initial spark that made you think of pulling together a festival like Outer Waves?

Joel Murray: “I guess it really feels to me like something the city is missing at the moment. Since Psych Fest and Liverpool Music Week stopped there really hasn’t been anything like them come through to fill that gap. I suppose I was hoping that something would just pop up and maybe I could get involved with it but it didn’t, so I kind of just thought maybe it was something I should try and put together.

“I’ve been talking about some kind of alternative inner-city festival type event with friends and possible collaborators for a few years now but nothing quite materialised. It wasn’t until I went to Supersonic in Birmingham last year and got really inspired – that basically gave me the kick to actually try to make something happen. I made the pitch to Chrissy and Laura, got them on board then things started to move pretty quickly and here we are.”

S13: Like you say, since COVID, this is probably the closest thing to Liverpool Psych Fest the city has had…

JM: “Very much so. Psych Fest was amazing – I love what they did and what they achieved. We’re very much using Psych Fest as a bit of a case study for what is possible – of course it didn’t just happen overnight, it took a lot of graft and inspiration – but they proved that a left field music festival can thrive in Liverpool. I would say Outer Waves and Psych Fest’s curation and line up etc. is pretty different but still very much existing in the same broad world of experimental music and art.”

S13: The line-up looks like more of a curation rather than just taking a scatter gun approach. Was that the idea?

JM: “Yes, definitely – the three of us aren’t interested in organising just another local festival type event where the genres covered are dictated by whatever seems to be popular at the time – we all are deeply interested in boundary pushing, odd, interesting art and music. The curation of the event has been carefully considered and we’re really happy that so much of what we wanted has been possible. So much local talent on the bill, too!”

S13: The Invisible Wind Factory feels like a good fit aesthetically, too. Is the thinking that the venue can become a home to the festival in the years to come?

JM: “For now, 100 per cent. I love the Invisible Wind Factory have been friends with and worked with those guys for years – it definitely fits the feel and vibe of the festival. I do like the idea of not being totally wedding to an area of the city or venue though – it’s really cool to be able to use Make too, the warehouse there hasn’t ever really been used for something like Outer Waves, so were really excited about what we’re going to do in that space and the possibilities that allows us.”

S13: Were Gong and Ex-Easter Island Head at the forefront of your mind when you were thinking about headliners?

JM: “They were both on our shortlist, yes. I put on a show for one of Kavus from Gong’s other bands in 2023 in the Substation at IWF – we loaded in through the main venue and I was just like, ‘Gong should play here!’ and Kavus was like, ‘Yeah!’… so it’s been in my mind for a while to make that happen. I love Ex-Easter Island Head, too – I think they’re one of the most exciting bands in Liverpool at the moment, and are doing so well for themselves. It’s amazing that they’ve agreed to play – in Make, too. It’s going to be pretty special!”

S13: There’s a solid undercard of acts, too, and looking at all these bands on one page, it underlines how healthy Liverpool’s experimental scene is. All told, do you see Outer Waves as a celebration of it?

JM: “Very much so. Over half the acts playing the festival are from Liverpool – there are so many incredible people doing incredible things in the city. It’s a real privilege to be able to bring such talent together to all perform under the same banner. We wrote in our initial notes that turned into our first press release that we wanted to shine a light on and celebrate [the] Liverpool underground. I think the curation of the festival reflects that. I hope other people do, too!”

Sun 13’s Top Picks:

Ex-Easter Island Head

Things continue to evolve for the Liverpool experimental titans. Having toured the U.K. and Europe in support of their excellent 2024 release, Norther, the year was rounded off with an appearance at last year’s Le Guess Who? festival in Utrecht. And 2025 has continued to see the four-piece flourish, featuring on The Cure’s forthcoming Mixes of a Lost World, having reworked the track taken from last year’s Songs of a Lost World, Alone.

Interview
Sun 13’s Top 50 Albums of 2024

Mandy, Indiana

It feels like just yesterday when Manchester’s Mandy, Indiana released their acclaimed debut LP, I’ve Seen A Way. In many ways, the album itself is an embodiment of the Outer Waves line-up. Smashing together darkwave with undercurrents warehouse euphoria, they are the perfect fit for the early hours on Liverpool’s docks side.

Sly & The Family Drone

At the backend of 2024, the London drone assault unit came in heavy with their long-anticipated new album, Moon is Doom Backwards, and of course, it didn’t disappoint. Fractured, no-wave improvisational work-outs inspired by the shoddiest corners of their London locale, these days the four-piece don’t make it up this way too often, so don’t sleep on them.

Interview

Coughin’ Vicars

Is there a better goth-laden post-punk band in Liverpool? In a word: no. If there was any doubt, it was dispelled with the band’s excellent 2024 LP, Curses & Prayers. An album filed with sharp world-play and angular guitars that forcefully scratched the itch. These songs in the live arena, even more vibrant, and for those not yet familiar, read all about Curses & Prayers it below.

Album review

Liminal Project

The darkwave trio make music that cascades to all parts of the room. Featuring the superglue to Liverpool’s underground in one Michael Coates, alongside singer Roxane Bigot and guitarist Zoe Nixon, Liminal Project have been mainstays across the local live scene over the past three years. With several singles already under their belt, it feels like new music is in the offing.

Interview

Claire Welles

The prolific DIY queen is a regular throughout these pages, and whilst underpinning Liverpool’s DIY scene, the Claire Welles experience should be celebrated beyond. Welles is set to perform in support of her latest release, Amiga Me – an album recorded on, you guessed it, a Commodore Amiga. Whether the Commodore makes an appearance or not, there are plenty more hits in the Claire Welles’ canon, which runs at 30-plus deep.

Claire Welles on Sun 13

Landscraper

Landscraper, Liverpool’s newest act, is a must watch. Featuring festival co-founder, Joel Murray, alongside Merseyside veterans Nick Hunt (Reality Goggles, Outfit et al), George Maund (Indica Ritual, Stig Noise Soundsystem), and James Binary (Bonnacons of Doom) the four-piece made their debut at QUARRY earlier this year to much delight. Noise-rock with King Crimson hammer-like grooves. Sold? No? Watch a clip from said live performance above.