Crossing Border Festival 2015 – Three Recommendations

During the second week of November, the Dutch city of Den Haag will once again transform into a focal point of literature, art and music. The annual Crossing Border Festival, now in its 9th year, will take place from 12-17 November, with two days of music taking place on the 13th and 14th. Just like last year, this year’s line-up is very varied and features a whole host of artists from all corners of the world. All Things Loud will be bringing you full coverage of the whole weekend, and below we’ve lined up our top 3 recommendations for the festival.

THE GARDEN (Heaven Stage, 13 November)
Neo punk duo The Garden may stick out on this line-up like a sore thumb, but their short and sharp songs are set to light up the whole weekend. Consisting of twin brothers Wyatt and Fletcher Sears, the two-piece tend to rip up rooms wherever they go. New album Haha sees the California duo do everything you’ve come to expect from them, including upbeat punk guitars, fast-paced drumming and a whole “I don’t give a fuck”-attitude. Their set on the festival’s first
day of music comes at the end of a long evening, so it’s hoped that the audience will still have enough energy to help the band pull off an unforgettable show. Which they will, because The Garden know exactly how to push the buttons of a few hundred people at the exact same time.

JONATHAN JEREMIAH (The Royal Stage, 13 November)
Headlining the festival on the Friday is the English singer-songwriter Jonathan Jeremiah, who’s currently busy rounding off a successful year which even saw him appear at June’s Pinkpop Festival. New album Oh Desire has just come out, and features Jeremiah at his sultry, emotional best. It’s no surprise that he’s making waves in Holland more than anywhere else, especially when you consider the way singer-songwriters have been received on these shores (see: Ed Sheeran, Hozier, most people with guitars). His show at Crossing Border will be the
perfect combination of grandiosity and intimacy, particularly as his show takes place on the festival’s makeshift ‘main stage’, namely Den Haag’s Royal Theatre. Expect a packed room for his set, and make sure you check it yourself before he (inevitably) sells out even bigger venues.

KITTY, DAISY & LEWIS (The Raven Stage, 14 November)
Our third and final recommendation for this year’s Crossing Border Festival is sibling trio Kitty, Daisy & Lewis who, like Jonathan Jeremiah, also played a successful set at Pinkpop Festival this June. Live, the band are backed up by the Durham siblings’ own parents, making the whole show a real family affair. RnB takes a predominant lead on their records, with elements of blues, swing and funk-laden country also making appearances along the way. Earlier this year, the trio sold out Amsterdam’s legendary Paradiso to critical acclaim, even if the rest of their successes are very much off the radar. Not that this is a problem, though, because it gives people the perfect opportunity to watch them as they close the weekend on the Raven Stage. It’s one of the most intimate rooms you’re probably going to see them play for a while, so make sure you get down there to see if the UK’s answer to Haim can really pull it off.

There’s obviously far more to Crossing Border’s line-up than these three artists, though. Also appearing throughout the weekend are grandiose collective The Cinematic Orchestra, rising Dutch artist Roosbeef and even famous author Salman Rushdie, who will be speaking at the festival for one evening only as part of a special gathering. Tickets for Crossing Border Festival are still available from Ticketmaster, and you can buy them here.

Crossing Border Festival takes place from 12-17 November on various stage throughout the centre of Den Haag. Just like last year, All Things Loud will be bringing you full coverage of the whole weekend.