As the Welsh music festival draws closer, we caught up with Newcastle duo lots of hands, who will be performing on the Rising Stage on Saturday.

Only one more week until Green Man opens its gates to a flurry of welly-clad music lovers, and the annual festival’s 2025 lineup is a carefully curated treasure trove of some of the very best new and established artists on the circuit right now. Each year, the Rising Stage serves as a vital springboard for some of the buzziest emerging acts to reach larger audiences, all with the added bonus of being set across a stunning backdrop of rolling Welsh hills. Some artists on this stage are booked conventionally but five finalists are selected from hundreds who apply via the Green Man Rising competition, the climax of which is a gig night at Cardiff’s Clwb Ifor Bach where the winners are selected by a panel of judges. This year’s final was won by wing!, who we spoke to back in May, who will have the honour of opening the Mountain Stage on Friday. lots of hands also made the final and will be performing a must-see early Saturday afternoon set. Oozing with introspection and a lo-fi tenderness, their DIY indie-folk sound is perfect for laying pensively on the grass and letting the beauty of the weekend wash over you, as you munch on your breakfast wrap and contemplate your first beer of the day.

lots of hands is comprised of Billy Woodhouse and Elliott Dryden, two friends that met at music school in Newcastle when they were only 16. Since then, the duo have gone onto sign with cult US tastemaker label Fire Talk and release four expansive albums that delve into a prismatic array of dusky, experimental bedroom sounds – most recently releasing ‘into a pretty room’ in January this year. Last month, the band also opted to revisit some of their earliest material, rereleasing their debut record ‘mistake’ with additional B-sides and previously unreleased tracks. We caught up with Billy for a quick Q&A ahead of their set next week, aiming to find out a little bit more about the band and any notable festival experiences that might have shaped them.

Hello lots of hands – how are you and where does this interview find you?

This interview finds me in the comfort of my own home studio, where I’m currently desperately trying to record some new music with my best friend. Life is truly wonderful.

What’s been the most exciting thing that’s happened to you this week?

We get news about our US tour every week, the more we hear about it, the more excited we get for sure! It’s the first time we’ve ever hit the road as a two piece and it feels like the first time we’ve had an opportunity like this! So stoked. 

To give readers more of a flavour of your sound, how would you describe your music to an alien that just crashed down to earth?

I think maybe the alien and I would have some sound preferences in common – droney spacey sounds clashing with folky indie music might sit well for a space dweller…

Tell us about your most memorable festival experience as a band

We’ve actually never played a festival haha! It’s definitely been difficult to get the band going as two skint students from Newcastle. We are so so happy that Green Man has allowed us to play and hopefully get the ball rolling!

Do you have a most memorable festival experience as an audience member? 

I go to Green Man every year with my mam! She’s so sweet and has introduced me to most music that I listen to. Seeing Car Seat Headrest with her at the Far Out stage was a blessing, as well as Big Thief at the Mountain Stage. I cried like a little baby.

How about a funny story or a set that completely blew you away (or sucked)?

I think the most amusing sets are always the London DJ sets. As northerners, it feels like a glimpse into another world, another civilisation, that we can be part of for just one day.

What are your top three essential festival items to pack?

Beers… lots and lots of beers. Maybe some cigarettes (even if you don’t smoke) and some crackers and craft cheese – hear me out on this… 

Circling back to your music, how are you feeling about the rerelease of your debut LP ‘mistake’? 

Good! It’s good to maintain the traction I suppose. I was more happy with the album we released in January, ‘into a pretty room’, so it’ll be good if the attention allows us to make more music like that, as best friends! 

Would you say that you have both changed much in the time since its release and does it still feel relevant to you? Has your relationship to the songs and the subject matter changed, and if so, how?

I would say honestly that I don’t have a close relationship with that album anymore, as it feels like a little kid that I have sent off to college, and now I can focus on making stuff that truly makes me happy and fulfilled! 

Finally, are there any other bands on the bill at Green Man that you are excited to see? If so, who and why?

We are super stoked to see the rest of the Green Man Rising winners again. We felt truly blessed to share the stage with them in Cardiff. Also super stoked to see MJ Lenderman, one of my favourite projects from the last couple of years.