Press Releases

On 19, 20, 27, 28 and 29 May, the Vodafone Wild Cards will open the Vodafone Stage and show the audience why they have earned their place in the Portuguese music scene. The choice of these five names is aligned with Vodafone’s and Vodafone FM’s strategy to uphold the ethos that has characterised the brand and the radio station, which has aimed to give visibility to new Portuguese music.

At Rock in Rio-Lisboa this positioning is obvious in the line-up for the Vodafone Stage, where new trends are promoted and the spotlight is on artists who have everything necessary to become the ‘next big scene’.

About the bands

THE SUNFLOWERS

Straightforward, direct rock without artifice. That perfectly describes the sound of the duo from Porto, Carol Brandão on drums and Carlos De Jesus (guitar and vocals). With two EP’s already released – “s / t” and “Ghosts, Witches and PB&Js” – the garage rock of the Sunflowers promises electrifying live moments. The band’s first album is due to be released in September, and their first single, “Zombie”, can already be heard on Vodafone FM. The second will be released later this month.

PISTA

Although the boys were born in Barreiro, Pista was formed in London when drummer Bruno Afonso and guitarist Claudio Fernandes were living in the British capital. On returning to Portugal, they teamed up with guitarist Ernesto Vitali, and the instrumental trialogue led to “Bamboleio”, their acclaimed debut album released in late 2015.

CAVE STORY

The trio from Caldas da Rainha ended 2015 on a high after winning the Vodafone Mexefest Band Scouting the previous year, which served as a launching ramp for them. With only two EP’s and one single behind them, Cave Story won over the critics with their lo-fi rock to the point that even their EP “·Spider Tracks” featured in several lists of the best Portuguese discs of the year. Currently the band is working their first LP, for which there are great expectations.

MIGHTY SANDS

At the end of last year the Lisbon quintet released their EP “Big Pink Vol.1” and showed how their surf and garage rock can be so alluring, with all the instrumentation threading through the structure of the songs. This month, they return with the release of their second EP, “Big Pink Vol.2”, the theme for their gig on the Vodafone Stage at Rock in Rio-Lisboa 2016.

ISAURA

Possessed of a melodic and powerful voice, she immediately became a cult figure with the release of her first EP, “Serendipity”, last year. It is minimalist electronic pop – in the style of The xx, James Blake or FKA Twigs – that has characterised Isaura’s soundscape, which owes much to her collaboration with producers Ben Monteiro (D’Alva), Cut Slack and Raez.