So you're thinking about attending PrettyTwisted's Summer Festival in July, huh? Well why wouldn't you be? PrettyTwisted, the ambitious collective of artists and music-lovers, have created something really special. After realising the scene deserved so much more, they built a safe space to highlight emerging talent. Now they're taking it to the next level with a two-day festival featuring the hottest up-and-coming artists.

I asked the PrettyTwisted collective to give me three words that described their event and the one that stood out to me the most was 'summer. 23. highlight' . DJXHNWAV, Zeeuntitled, Jean Blaire and 2AteFour; four under 25 year olds curated their own two day festival that will take place on the 14th and 16th of July. But the question I want to answer is ‘What is PrettyTwisted, and why the hell should I go to this festival that I know nothing about?’

You've been feeling that itch for a music festival all summer, dying to discover your new favourite artist or DJ. Admit it, you're tired of the same old overproduced shows where you can barely see the stage. PrettyTwisted is all about building community. They started this festival to give emerging artists a platform to share their work, connect with each other, and build new creative partnerships. By attending, you'll be supporting that mission and become part of this growing community. The lineup features diverse, up-and-coming talent - over 2 days, you'll discover fresh new artists with a range of genres, from rap and hip hop to alternative punk and R&B.

The micro - communities in London have a general misconception about being a scary place but PrettyTwisted’s reality is simple - bring good vibes and you’ll meet good people so this is just the best place to start or for some to continue.

2AteFour told me something that interested me, "When I first came to London, the underground events consisted of the same people which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but where is the discovery?" With PrettyTwisted it is almost certain that you will meet someone new ranging from creatives to your new favourite artist.

The collective made up of A&R's, Creative Directors, DJs, Singers and Writers all met in different ways. Twitter group chats, seeing each other at events and DJing at the same shows they naturally formed a common hunger for wanting to meet more people, develop them and follow them on their journey but most importantly having a space where it is “not about cliques or chasing exclusivity" but rather growing from word of mouth.

Zeeuntitled says “I feel like our marketing is deceptively laid back. Although we all come together we all have our own individual ventures and the more attention we bring to those the more you see PrettyTwisted just by connection so you might not receive direct messages asking to come to our shows through the PrettyTwisted account. But we’re out there on the streets doing things everyday so you will hear about us whether you like it or not.”

The term culture came up a lot during our conversation. It was clear that they were doing this for the people that mirror them both physically and internally. The whole message is that they build the community over time and speak out for the people that can’t speak out, giving the voice to people that never really had a voice. “I really care about this culture” DJXHNWAV says, “I just see a bunch of people who also care so I just want to buy into that”

London is a place full of talented people so I was intrigued to find out just how the four boys constantly come together in a creative process that helps choose who they want to put on. And by the end of the discussion the general consensus was that they don’t. Jean gave an example on how they would bring it up in conversation and it was as simple as “have you heard of this artist and we’ll listen and [decide that] they’re really good and then we just book them”.

So the real is that it's an inclusive space where everyone is welcome. PrettyTwisted aims to give underrepresented groups a voice and make art accessible to all and if you have any questions about the festival hopefully they’ll be answered below.

FAQ: Your Questions About PrettyTwisted Answered

What kind of music will be played?

"The genres of music have been split in two days. On the first day it’s actually inspired by Marvin Gaye’s I Want You cover art: A jazzy, neo-soul, funk type vibe - any kind of black instrumental. Day two is inspired by the pictures we got from Dwill’s and Bib’s show, just that jumpy, jumping off the walls vibe. " The focus is on underground and emerging artists, so expect to discover new favourites.

Who's on the lineup?

Over 15 acts have been booked. Day one headliners are Osquello, Essosa, Kamil Ademola and more. Day two headliners include InfamousIzak, Saiming, Travspresents with an hour takeover set from GUAP Mag curated by Wildat Hassan and Shenell Kennedy.

Any disclaimers for the attendees?

This is for the N*GGAS. No deodorant? No entry. Best smelling attendees get a shot on the door. Come looking fly! Btw there's multiple photographers on the day, turn your phone off for a bit take in the artists. Don’t act stoosh! (their words not mine)

How much are tickets?

Tickets start at £13 for general admission.

What are the set times?

14th July: 6PM - 10PM

16th July: 7PM - 12AM

This isn't one to miss - we hope to see you there!

Discover more from GUAP’s Music section here

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