The first 16 acts for the new Auckland City Limits festival have been revealed showing a musically diverse line-up headlined by superstar rapper Kendrick Lamar and American indie rock giants The National.
The one-day event at Western Springs on Saturday, March 19 is aligned to the Austin City Limits festival in Texas, the connection reflected in the Americana, contemporary country and roots acts on the bill.
That includes rising US country singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson, blues-rock singer Grace Potter, indie-Americana bands Houndmouth and Lord Huron, Austin singer-songer Shakey Graves as well as Alabama soul revivalists St Paul & the Broken Bones.
As well as the acclaimed Grammy-winning Lamar, hip-hop fans will have New York rapper Action Bronson, who was last here supporting Eminem, while there is more US indie rock from Californian oufit Cold War Kids.
The National returns to Auckland having graduated from a show at the Kings Arms in 2008, a three night run at Auckland's Powerstation in 2011 to a Vector Arena show early last year off the back of biggest album yet Trouble Will Find Me.
The band's gloomy intimate sound might make them unlikely summer festival headliners but band bassist Scott Devendorf tells TimeOut this week the group has adapted to playing the big outdoor shows.
"We have definitely adjusted the way we have approached playing shows as the shows have gotten bigger. Because we don't want to lose the intimacy and good sound of a small venue, we try really hard to project the show visually with video and have really good sound to maintain the sort of detail and the stuff we like about the music.
"Some of it is a bit subtle but we have had quite some success playing some of those slower songs in larger festivals and larger venues. There is definitely some adjustment you need to do in an arena. You really have to project it a bit more musically and sonically. Everything we have done is in the service of being intimate in a larger format."
And Devendorf says the band is excited about heading to New Zealand - and to Australia where they are playing to the Byron Bay Blues Festival - while taking a break from the writing and recording of a new album due out later in 2016.
"We can't wait. It will be fun. Also we will be in the depths of winter over here so we will be happy to escape that for a week or so."
The National
Local acts confirmed include the long-awaited return of Los Angeles-based The Naked and Famous, as well as The Phoenix Foundation, Tami Neilson, Maala and Kinetic.
Veteran local hip hop-soul star Che Fu and the Kratez will play his 2001 sophomore album Navigator in its entirety at the event.
The new festival is the result of a partnership with former New Zealand Big Day Out promoter Campbell Smith's company CRS, American company C3 Presents (which is behind Austin City Limits, the Lollapalooza festivals and which bought into the BDO in its final year), and international tour giant Live Nation.
Another announcement of acts is expected next month along with details about culinary area Auckland Eats, local artworks, an artisanal market, and the parent'n'child zone entitled Auckland Kiddie Limits.
Super Early bird tickets priced at $99 go on sale on Wednesday via AucklandCityLimits.com
Full line-up
Kendrick Lamar The National Action Bronson The Naked & Famous Sturgill Simpson Cold War Kids Grace Potter Lord Huron The Phoenix Foundation St Paul & the Broken Bones Houndmouth Che Fu & the Kratez Tami Neilson Shakey Graves MAALA Kinetic
* See Thursday's TimeOut for more on the acts coming to Auckland City Limits.
