BIG SOUND 2024: My Favourite Performances

Big Sound is Australia’s leading artist showcase and industry conference, taking place in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. I had the incredible, last minute, opportunity to obtain a delegates pass for the event, giving me access to all the behind the scenes and all artist showcases. Huge thank you to Dark Escapes Music for the opportunity to meet some amazing people and artists. Without further ado, here is my list of my favourite performances from September 3rd-6th at Big Sound 2024.

1. Birren

Birren is a Gudjingburra artist whose music is inspired by his Northern Rivers coastal lifestyle. He was the first act I saw at Big Sound as he opened the festival at the Delegates Lunch. Birren’s soothing voice and laid back vibes made for a really great acoustic set where he performed his song ‘Greenshack’, which has over 22K plays on Spotify, and his latest single ‘BACK TO MY ROOTS’ which was released on July 10th, 2024. He also performed a cover of ‘Crazy’ by Gnarls Barkley.

Birren is an advocate for Currumbin Wildlife Hospital, having toured the hospital back in May, making a post on his Instagram page (@birren.official) discussing how important it is to care for our country and urging people to donate to the wildlife hospital as it relies heavily on its community.

Birren’s music is reminiscent to the likes of Bob Marley, The Tesky Brothers, and Sam Cook. His music has garnered him 2,776 Instagram followers and 753 monthly Spotify listeners as of writing this article. His ocean-inspired grooves really set the vibes for the rest of Big Sound.

Pictured: Birren performing at Big Sound Photographed by Jazmin Wilkins

2. byjaye

Pictured: byjaye performing at Big Sound Photographed by Jazmin Wilkins

byjaye is an artist that pushes the boundaries of pop music. Coming from Western Sydney, byjaye’s music explores themes of love, heartbreak, and isolation. He only started releasing music at the start of 2024, yet has already amassed 3,637 followers on Instagram and over 25K monthly Spotify listeners as of writing this. According to his Spotify bio, growing up he felt like an outsider, stating: ‘Chatting to people about my feelings was never an option. So I carried a notebook and pen. I filled it with the inner workings of my brain.’ These feelings coincide with his lyricism, giving his music a soulful edge that many people, including myself, can relate to.

I didn’t know what to expect when I walked into The Prince Consort to watch his 8:15pm set, but it is safe to say I was far from disappointed. byjaye performed his catchy singles ‘Borderline’, ‘Straight To My Head’, and ‘Call Me Stupid’, which combined have amassed over 300,000 Spotify streams. He drew in a large crowd over the course of his half an hour set with his smooth vocals and incredibly talented band, making for my favourite act of Wednesday night and making me a fan in the process! I believe we’ll be seeing a lot more of him in the very near future.

3. Sunny Luwe

Sunny Luwe (pronounced ‘loo’) was the second act I saw at Big Sound, playing at the Sisters Of Goolwal event on the JBL stage. Sunny is a proud First Nations woman who has garnered over 700 monthly Spotify listeners and over 2,500 Instagram followers as of writing this. Her musical project was born on the Gold Coast with intentions of fusing her soulful and spiritual demeanour into her music, which touches on themes of love, war, heartbreak, and everything in between. Sunny’s music is a soulful blend of multiple styles ranging from indie, pop and rock (or as she calls it ‘Soul Pop Sunshine’), creating a unique sound that fuses together music from the 70’s and 90’s.

Sunny released her debut album in 2023 titled ‘Flowers In The Sky’ and most recently released her new single ‘Animal Instinct’, which had to be my favourite song of her set! According to her interview with AUS Music Scene, she wrote Animal Instinct after going to a meditation retreat where she had meditated for over 40 hours over the course of the week. She laughed at the ridiculousness of it all which resulted in writing this track which in her words ‘feels like the opposite of a meditation retreat’. Sunny and her band brought a refreshing bubbly and bright attitude to their performance, consisting of lots of smiles and gratitude towards the audience. All in all, Sunny Luwe is not a band to be missed and a perfect way to open the Sisters of Goolwal event!

Pictured: Sunny Luwe live at Big Sound

Photographed by Jazmin Wilkins

4. Charlie Pittman

Charlie Pittman is a self taught musician that grew up in England and started releasing music during the COVID-19 pandemic. He managed to amass over one million streams on Spotify completely self managed with no assistance from a record label, quickly climbing the rungs and playing sold out shows throughout LA and England. Charlie relocated from England to Sydney, Australia in 2023 to further his music career, which eventuated in playing multiple shows across the country and even supporting ‘The Band CAMINO’ at their Perth show on their Australian tour in 2024. As of writing this, he has gained over 37.8K Instagram followers and over 35K monthly Spotify listeners.

Charlie fuses pop and indie elements together to create his unique sound, taking inspiration from the likes of Jeremy Zucker and The 1975. His ‘nothing is forever’ EP really encapsulates the raw emotions of love, dealing with change and loss, and the bittersweet emotions of growing up, which is something I know we can all relate to. His performance was the first one I saw on Wednesday night at the JBL stage, and I was immediately hooked. Even though I showed up halfway through his set, Charlie and his band managed to capture the attention of the crowd with their full sound, stage presence, and showcasing their tight knit bond with each other on stage. It’s plain to see that Charlie is extremely passionate about his work as a musician, and I would happily see his show again in a heartbeat! Hopefully in full next time.

Pictured: Charlie Pittman live at Big Sound

Photographed by Jazmin Wilkins

All in all, Big Sound 2024 was an absolutely incredible showcase of musical talent from all across the country. It was truly an honour to be able to photograph and write about the amazing individuals above and I hope to see more from all of them in the future. It may have been my first ever Big Sound, but it made a lasting impression and I’m certain that it won’t be my last. Here’s to Big Sound 2025 and thank you all for reading this far in!