SHY FRiEND

EKKSTACY Leaping from SoundCloud rap to indie rock is no small feat but EKKSTACY (real name Khyree Zienty) makes it look effortless. You’ve probably heard the bouncy single “i walk this earth all by myself” on TikTok, but the self-titled album released earlier this year is a great entry point into the songwriter’s world of grungy, rap-adjacent power-pop. The Wesleys Self-recorded and self-titled, the debut record from The Wesleys is a slice of DIY garage rock paradise. The rough edges of the production surround the melodic sensibilities on display in tracks like “I’ve Been Waiting.” Expect spoonfuls of power-pop sugar to help the brawny punk rock medicine go down from this Québec export. Lavoro After cutting his teeth in bands like Burning Love and Fake Palms, Patrick Marshall formed Lavoro with members of Animal Faces, Sauna and Breeze. The result is a galvanizing and haunting take on post-punk infused with hypnotic krautrock stylings. Across six tracks, their 2023 self-titled EP grapples with the alienation felt in a world that undervalues humanity. SHY FRiEND Julie G Olive – the brains behind SHY FRiEND – fuses her classical music background with her lively Twitch persona to create jazzy pop rock that is full of emotional highs. Her debut album frank is indie-pop perfection that is brought to life either with a band or by Julie alone, surrounded by looping pedals. About Sled Island: Sled Island is an annual five-day independent music and arts festival in Calgary, Alberta that brings together a community of music, comedy, film and art with over 30,000 attendees in multiple venues across the city. For more information, visit SledIsland.com. Upon entering a festival venue, the passholder agrees to being photographed, filmed or recorded in that venue, and agrees to the publication, reproduction, distribution and broadcast of all photographs, video or other recordings of the passholder's voice or likeness without further notice or compensation in any publicity, advertisement or other publication carried-out by, or on behalf of, Sled Island and in perpetuity in any manner and media whatsoever, including print, broadcast or internet. Everyone has the right to feel safe and included at Sled Island. All festival attendees must abide by Sled Island's safer spaces and inclusion policy and agree to the code of conduct, which can be found at SledIsland.com/SaferSpaces. Sled Island acknowledges Calgary as the traditional territory of the Blackfoot and the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Ĩyãħé Nakoda First Nations, including the Chiniki, Bearspaw and Goodstoney First Nations. Calgary is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta (Districts 5 and 6).