It’s already confirmed that big names such as THE CURE, LORDE, NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS and GORILLAZ will take the stage at Way Out West in Slottsskogen, August 13–15 next year. Early Bird tickets have already sold out (!), despite the fact that nearly 120 more artists are yet to be revealed.
Today, the poster gets even stronger with three additions – the minimalist power trio THE XX [UK], this year’s breakout indie star SOMBR [US], and the playfully eclectic DIJON [US].
When THE XX first appeared in 2009, few could have imagined the impact their quiet intensity would have. They were softly spoken yet impossible to ignore, a band that made minimalism feel monumental, turning heartache into movement while leaving their tears on the dancefloor. Their shadowy, tender pop revolved around the telepathic communication between Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim, held together by Jamie xx’s club-rooted yet minimalistic production. Together they altered the emotional DNA of a generation with their three albums. Beginning with their iconic self-titled debut, followed by the hushed and introspective “Coexist” (2012), and culminating in “I See You” (2017), where the trio seamlessly wove each member’s individual strengths into something truly luminous.
Since then, all three members have carved out their own acclaimed paths: Jamie xx with his genre-defining solo work in electronic music, Romy Madley Croft with her deeply personal, rave-inspired debut “Mid Air”, and Oliver Sim with the hauntingly cinematic “Hideous Bastard”. Now, nearly a decade after their last release, the trio have been back in the studio together creating something new. Don’t miss this power trio in Slottsskogen this summer!
Few new artists get to experience a rise as rapid as SOMBR. At just 20 years old, Shane Michael Boose has quickly gone from recording in GarageBand to amassing more than 50 million monthly listeners and turning singles like “12 to 12”, “Undressed” and “Back to Friends” into generational anthems. At a time when most pop records are crowded with endless collaborators, sombr’s uncompromising creative vision sets him apart. Every track on his debut album “I Barely Know Her” is written and produced by himself. The result is a ten-track record that leaps from darker indie textures into disco-infused pop, with hooks built for both headphones and main stages. With one of this year’s biggest breakthroughs behind him and an upcoming sold-out show at Stockholm’s Annexet in February, SOMBR arrives at Way Out West ready to confirm his place as one of indie pop’s defining new voices.
It’s hard to imagine any end-of-year list in 2025 that doesn’t have DIJON’S “Baby” near the very top. An album that not only defined the year, but permanently redrew the map for pop, R&B and soul by boldly stretching the borders beyond the comprehensible. Much like the work of his collaborator mk.gee, Dijon’s glitchy, unpredictable and emotionally charged music escapes all easy classification. And it’s not that the music lacks instantly gratifying hooks or mercilessly funky grooves, they’re there but implied rather than forced. Waiting for the patient listener to discover, but never fully decode. Anti-production as production, if you will. Almost sobbing in its delivery, “Baby” channels newfound fatherhood, doubt, fear, pain and, of course, love. A record of pure vulnerability and rare invention. This summer, we are proud to welcome one of the most singular voices of our time to Way Out West!
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