14/05/18: Are you heading to the Great Escape and in need of some new music inspiration?

Well look no further. Here are some personal picks from UK Music’s Megan White – check out the bands she’s hoping to catch in sunny Brighton this weekend.

Timings are correct at publication, but keep up to date with who’s playing where and when with the official festival app.

Boy Azooga

_{Picture credit: Heavenly Recordings}

Thursday – Latest Music Bar, 12pm / Dr Martens Stage, 2pm / Patterns (upstairs), 9:15pm

The heavy, bass-loving riff-ready Cardiff lads are about to set to unleash debut album 1,2, Kung Fu onto the world – out June 8 on Heavenly Recordings – and are heading to Brighton to cause chaos. Expect a slew of influences, from William Onyeabor to Black Sabbath, and a ‘rave/psych monster-mash’ of a live show.

Pip Blom

_{Picture credit: A Badge of Friendship}

Thursday – Paganini Ballroom (The Old Ship), 7:15pm

Friday – Komedia, 2:30pm, Saturday – Prince Albert, 9:15pm

Aged just 20, Pip Blom has already become a BBC 6 Music mainstay and clocked up more than half-a-million Spotify listens after being featured on various ones-to-watch playlists. This is just the second time the talented Dutch rocker and her band are touring the UK, but it certainly won’t be the last with songs this good.

Dream Wife

_{Picture credit: Lucky Number}

Thursday – Beach Club, 8:45pm

The riot grrrl punk trio return to Brighton, where they met, bringing with them their powerhouse live show, packed with fishnets and rage. With their self-titled debut garnering glittering reviews across the board, their manic, DIY vibe has stunned audiences across the UK, drawing comparisons to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs – which can only be a good thing.

The Orielles

_{Picture credit: Heavenly Recordings}

Thursday – Beach House, 2:30pm / Horatios, 9pm

Labelmates of Boy Azooga, the Tarantino-loving teens from Halifax have already racked up dozens of shows since forming three years ago.  Their quirky, indie-pop debut, released in February, earned them a four-star review from The Guardian and is quickly earning them fans, selling out venues up and down the country.

The Ninth Wave

Picture credit: Distiller Music

Thursday – Horatios, 3:30pm, Friday – The Haunt, 9:30pm, Saturday – Marine Room (Harbour Hotel), 10:15pm

This 80s post-punk Scottish quartet are integral to the Glasgow music scene, having already played a packed-out ABC show with friends WHITE and Baby Strange without releasing an album. Their bold style has already marked them out as one of the nation’s most exciting new bands, making waves on both sides of the border, and they’re definitely ones to watch this year.