Jo Bartlett and Danny Hagan, who together comprise the much-loved, sorely missed duo It’s Jo and Danny, announced details of the second edition of The Wake, the festival they launched last year. The one-day event is on Saturday, 23 August 2025.
As if not busy enough, Jo is also releasing new sounds through her IndieThroughTheLookingGlass label. Not only her own music but also of Neil Haydock, formerly of 90’s shoegaze band Submarine.
There’s loads going on in this post, with loads of brilliant music videos to watch. Please take some time to enjoy it all.
King Creosote headlines The Wake
Jo and Danny, who together founded the legendary Green Man Festival, are understandably thrilled to announce such an iconic headliner. Especially after Gruff Rhys topped the inaugural bill last year.
Jo said: “Danny and I are very excited about The Wake 2025! What a delight to have our old friend Kenny AKA King Creosote headlining. It is going to be a heck of a day out!”
Since the mid-late 1990s, Kenny Anderson’s DIY pop alter-ego King Creosote has released over 100 records (at a relatively conservative guess). Artists including Simple Minds and Patti Smith have covered and performed his songs.
What a fabulous, friendly, chilled, well-booked little festival: talk about value for money!
Dave
Full details of this fantastic festival, set in the beautiful woodland and meadows in West Sussex, can be seen in the poster below. Highlights include Chris Brain, a rising star in contemporary folk, whose latest album, New Light, has received glowing reviews and airtime on BBC6 Music and Radio 2. His song, ‘Golden Days’, features in the film We Live in Time, starring Oscar-nominated actors Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield.
Also, Jo and Danny recently reformed Bluetrain, especially for The Wake. Bluetrain originally released records on the label of Dan Treacy (of The Television Personalities) in the 1980s.
Thank you for this brilliantly put together event
Anna
Furthermore, the festival offers plenty for families, with a dedicated Children’s Area featuring storytelling inspired by Sussex’s wild landscapes and music classes for pre-schoolers. Camping pitches cost £20 (up to four people) when purchased alongside a festival ticket.
For tickets and more information, visit www.thewake.uk. You are advised to get your skates on as it sold out last year.
IndieThroughThe LookingGlass new music
As well as reforming Bluetrain, Jo has been typically incredibly busy in the music world. She recently released two new singles and the debut solo track by Bad Generals, which features Neil Haydock, of the aforementioned Submarine.
Jo described the two singles – ‘Time and Time Again’ and ‘These Simple Things’ – as synth protest songs. She said: “Since they are of a similar theme, I thought I’d release them just two weeks apart from each other.”
Her considerable ire is focused on billionaires who treat our shared planet as their personal plaything. The anguish behind Jo’s invective is palpable but is delivered with such a light, melodic touch that the seriousness behind the lyrics cannot be mistaken.
Bad Generals
Neil Haydock, formerly of Submarine, is now operating under the name of Bad Generals. His debut release, through Jo’s label, is ‘Krautrock TV
It’s eight-minutes worth of epic motorik mayhem. It cruises along like a pleasant drive on the autobahn until, suddenly, The Beatles take control of the vehicle and things go all thrillingly helter skelter. Check out the the DA Pennebaker-inspired video below. It’s a hoot.
Conclusion
Jo Bartlett must be hands down one of the most hardworking people in the UK music scene. Check out IndieThroughTheLookingGlass, which chronicles her astonishing contribution, both behind the scenes and as an artist. Her legacy cannot be underestimated and long may it continue.
Why not check out my in-depth chat with Jo Bartlett from last year? We spoke around the time of the release of her fantastic debut, solo, LP Ghost Tapes 1 to 9. You can read the article here. Within, there’s also a radio interview for you to enjoy.
Did you enjoy reading these articles? Please let me know in the comments below. Why not subscribe for free to my blog using the form above? Don’t miss out on upcoming articles about music, film, radio. Basically, what appeals to me and I hope will be interesting for you. Kind regards, Andy.
Andy McCulloch
I am a music writer, blogger, and promoter. I originally established Even Butterflies Make A Sound to re-publish music reviews I published last century. However, the blog has taken on a life of its own and is the better for that. Please enjoy not so responsibly.
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