The Øya festival program for 2019 is becoming more varied and more current names are added at a high pace. Today, American JONATHAN WILSON, Swedish band CULT OF LUNA, from England IDLES and Norwegian SPURV have been confirmed to play at Tøyenparken. 

After a few years as a soloist, JONATHAN WILSON got a breakthrough with Fanfare album in 2013. In the spring of 2018 he followed up with Rare Birds. He has repeatedly been honoured to further develop the West Coast Rock and the sounds of the Laurel Canyon. 

In addition to songwriting, he has made recordings with Father John Misty, Roy Harper, Conor Oberst, Bonnie «Prince» Billy and others. The class struggle has called Rare Birds «a magnum opus that continues and reinvents many of the best qualities from the west coastline».

CULT OF LUNA started at the end of the 90s in the north-western Swedish city of Umeå. The members had a background from the city’s hardcore environment, but developed a darker and more progressive style. With their third album Salvation (2004), they were seriously noticed in the underground. After several amazing albums, they collaborated in 2016 with American singer Julie Christmas on the Mariner album, which is an exceptional masterpiece. 

The band moves in a border between powerful doom and atmospheric post-rock. In the emotional end of dark, hard music they are in the world elite. We heard rumours that there will be new music in 2019 and had no choice but to ensure that they get a deserved place on the Island poster.

IDLES from Bristol have released two delicious albums in about a year and a half. The latest, Joy as a Act of Resistance, captured fifth place on the British album list this fall. Despite the fact that this energised gang has been going since the beginning of the decade, it’s only the last couple of years they’ve really found their shape. Today, there is a broad consensus that they are among Britain’s most exciting rock bands.

SPURV’S other album Myra has received well-deserved praise from far and near, with great reviews in international music blogs and online media. The band has a core of four members, with contributions from another two. That one of these is a trombonist, helps SPURV give an exciting character. They have clear roots in high quality post-rock. 

After a demo and an EP, the first album came in 2015. Both this and the sequel Myra have been produced by Magnus Lindberg from the Øya-current Cult of Luna.

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