Nestled among more familiar names and the festival’s headliners, here are 5 acts we’re especially excited to see live at this year’s festival.

As we near the end of the summer, End of the Road defiantly carries us into September, kicking off this Thursday (29^th August) and running all weekend. The Larmer Tree Gardens festival brings together a tightly curated mix of essential alternative artists, ranging between established favourites and cutting-edge newcomers. Having already dissected the bigger names, including headliners IDLES, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Fever Ray and Slowdive (see here), here are 5 names that might be a little less familiar who are well worth fitting in to your weekend.

Tara Clerkin Trio

Combining ambient and more traditional songwriting, Tara Clerkin Trio present a gentle but unconventional sound that keeps you on your toes. Analogue and digital textures overlap to create something original and pertinent, which in spite of its minimalist fragility has drawn comparisons to Jockstrap and acid jazz. You can catch their strange, blissful set on the Boat stage on Sunday at 6.30pm.

Snõõper

The Nashville 5-piece have built a reputation for creating unapologetically idiosyncratic DIY punk rock, punk not in its devotion to the lessons of 1977 but in its artless immediacy and DIY spirit. Having initially released independently and built up a live reputation shaped by their theatrical papier mâche stage props, the band released their debut album proper last year via Third Man Records. We’re hoping the five-piece have brought with them their mascot, a giant bug puppet, which is apparently given to a willing member of the crowd to wear for the duration of their sets. The band play The Folly on Sunday at 9pm, just before Lambrini Girls…

Brown Horse

We loved Brown Horse at Green Man and for those who did not make it to catch Big Thief that weekend can find some consolation in this band’s set this weekend. Drawing influence from that pool of plaintive country rock, the band assimilate further unusual details from Americana, the set really coming into focus when they make use of a richly expansive accordion. Songs quote country history knowingly and intelligently, setting the woes of Jimmie Rodgers against contemporary experiences over tubercular electric guitars. The band open up the main stage (Woods) on Saturday, kicking off at 12.45pm.

RVG

A favourite discovery at last year’s Great Escape, Melbourne’s RVG represent the rock ‘n’ roll tradition enlivened by an openness to more up-to-date references like occasional touches of new wave and dream rock. New album ‘Brain Worms’ has widely been recognised as the band at their best, returning to the spotlight having created immense buzz just before the world shut down for the pandemic. Their set is an essential for anyone who delighted in the greasy rawness of The Murlocs at last year’s festival. They will be on at The Folly at 5pm on the Friday.

Water From Your Eyes

Having released one of the most original-sounding LPs of 2023 (described by Pitchfork “logic-defying”), we’ve been keen to catch Water from Your Eyes live to see how they translate their sound to the stage. The New York duo clash tender melodies and lyrics with harsh unidentifiable flashes of sound, the resultant sound in part informed by their ersatz equipment. That a recent covers EP featured songs by Chumbawumba, Adele and Al Green should form some indication of the scope of sounds and influences their music blitzes together. Water From Your Eyes play in the immersive dark of the Big Top on Sunday at 6.45pm.

With all this and more to fit in, we’re gearing up for an intensely busy weekend at the festival. The full timings have just been released on EOTR socials, and be sure to find some space between the bands (or best of all late at night) to explore the Woods for other adventures too (read: silent discos, DJ sets and the Corn Hole World Championships at 2am in the games area).