It’s not very often that you get a quartet of top quality emerging artists sharing the exact same billing in an intimate setting, but this is exactly was is going to be going down on Wednesday 7th October (from 7:30pm to 11pm) at The Hope & Ruin in Brighton. Finger on the pulse promoters Hidden Herd have somehow managed to get the spotlight on four emerging acts that those in the know certainly won’t want to miss!
Performing on the first floor music room located on Queens Road – where a decade ago both Dua Lipa and Adele plied their wares on the exact same stage before going stratospheric – we have Winter Gardens, Opal Mag, Lucy Darke and Tears At The Table.
Let’s find out more…..
Shifting fluidly between shimmering shoegaze and propulsive intensity, Winter Gardens blend the hazy textures of dream-pop with the urgency and drive of post-punk, balancing moments of introspection with bursts of raw energy. Layers of reverb-soaked guitars, melodic basslines and driving percussion intertwine to create a sound that feels both expansive and immediate.
Since their inception, Winter Gardens have shared stages with Echo & the Bunnymen, Gary Numan, Modern English, Piroshka, Pale Blue Eyes and many more. The band have performed at Left of the Dial in Rotterdam, Supersonic Club in Paris and Rockaway Beach, and recently played three shows in New York as part of The New Colossus Festival. They also delivered a standout set at Brighton’s Great Escape Festival this year, performing to a packed Concorde 2.
Their latest EP, ‘Uncomfortable/Unlovable’, was released last year to widespread praise from BBC Radio 1, BBC Music Introducing, Radio X, KEXP, Louder Than War, CLUNK and more, including a recent BBC Introducing Live Lounge session. Now returning with the majestic ‘Adored’ and the ethereal follow-up ‘Fragile Boy’, Winter Gardens continue to expand their sonic world, pushing their sound into exciting new territory.
Their forthcoming 5-track 12” ‘Macabre Divine’ EP is set to drop on 16th September on limited edition 180g Breakneck Pink Marble vinyl, and will include ‘Adored’ and ‘Fragile Boy’ as well as ‘Violet Corridors’, ‘The Yearning’ and title track ‘Macabre Divine’.
Harnessing influences including Mazzy Star, The Sundays, The Breeders and The Smashing Pumpkins, Opal Mag blends hazy, atmospheric soundscapes with confessional, unfiltered lyricism. Writing for dreamers and bedroom dwellers, her songs feel like secrets whispered late at night – raw, intimate and achingly real.
On 29th May Opal Mag released her debut EP, ‘Goodbye Lavender’, via Venn Records (High Vis, thistle., Meryl Streek), and it was naturally manufactured on lavender dream coloured vinyl. The EP’s lead singles ‘Wasting’, ‘World End’ and ‘Kiss Me’ bring the enigmatic musician’s evocative songwriting to the fore, pairing it with the trademark hazy textures that continue to captivate her growing fanbase. The trio of remaining tunes on the 12” release are ‘Try Not To Hate Everything’, ‘Young Forever’ and title track ‘Goodbye Lavender’.
Thus far 2026 has been a busy year for Opal Mag and she is now ready to build on previous support slots alongside acts including The Kooks, Black Honey, Overpass and Phoebe Green, as well as festival appearances at Truck Festival, The Great Escape Festival, Dot to Dot Festival, Ritual Union and Dork’s Day Out.
Her early releases have already earned widespread acclaim from key tastemakers including NME, Stereogum, Dork, Clash, So Young, The Line Of Best Fit, Rough Trade, Rolling Stone UK and Under The Radar, alongside spins on the airwaves from Emily Pilbeam on BBC Radio 6 Music, Cheryl Waters on KEXP and Colby Robertson on Triple J.
