It's barely a week until Wanderland Music & Arts Festival takes us to the concrete jungle down south to celebrate their 5^th birthday!

Ahead of Manila's premiere music festival, we speak to a few artists on the 2017 line-up — HONNE, Yuna, LANY and Woodlock — about what music is like in their respective hometowns, the best and worst things in music festivals, and using social media as a platform for positivity. 

HONNE (UK)

Can you tell us what the local music scene is like where you're from?

Andy and I both live in East London. There's a thriving music scene here, an unbelievable number of venues, bands playing every night, from new acts to huge international acts. Loads of studios, producers, etc. It's really great and kind of daunting when you're first starting out.

What are the best and worst things about music festivals?

The best thing about festivals is the atmosphere. Playing to hundreds or thousands of people who are all there to have a great time, sing along and dance to your music. That is such a great feeling, for everyone!

I think in the UK, festivals might be a little different to festivals in Asia. The worst thing about festivals here is the mud. It often rains quite heavily, and when festival grounds get wet it can be pretty annoying. It's cool if you're just having fun, but not so much when you're carrying keyboards around.

It's your first time in Asia, visiting Manila and Taiwan. What are you most looking forward to in the said cities, and aside from music, what else would you like to experience during your stay here?

We both love food and trying new food. So we will be looking forward to experiencing some local delicacies. We get a lot of pleasure from just looking around new places, so hopefully we'll get a chance to explore these cities and get to know them a bit and meet some of the locals.

YUNA (MY)

​You've done shows all over the world. As a musician from Southeast Asia, what can you tell aspiring musicians who would like to try their luck internationally? 

Never stop working on your music, practice makes perfect! Focus on getting your music out there, don't get too comfortable being in your own bubble, challenge yourself.
 
How important is building a relationship with musicians in your own region and touring regionally? 

I let things happen naturally, I'm always open to working with new talent, local or global. The music industry is one big family.
 
In these times, how can music be used to unite people together and get a socially relevant message across?

I think it's up to individual artists to decide what is the best way to communicate things they are passionate about. I feel like social media is a great platform to help raise awareness for good causes and promote positive messages.

Bandwagon's Guide to Wanderland Jungle

WOODLOCK (AUS)

​Can you tell us what the local music scene is like in Melbourne?

It is amazing, there is so many people, so many different sounds. There is a sense of community between all the bands and being part of that community is such a great feeling of home. 

What are the best and worst things about music festivals?

Energy. The energy of festivals is incredible, everyone comes in the expectation and mindset of “I’m going to remember this for the rest of my life.” So the life that the crowd brings is such high. As for the lows I haven't experienced any yet.

Australian bands are no strangers to Wanderland; over the past five years we've had Colour Coding, Commandeur, The Jungle Giants, returning headliners The Temper Trap. 

What would you consider the same between you and other Aussie acts and what sets you apart and makes you stand out from the rest of the pack?

We have the happiest drummer alive! We have songs that you won't be able to help but sing a long, clap and dance, too. 

LANY (USA)

What's the local music scene like in your hometown?

I’m [Paul] from Tulsa, Oklahoma, but I’ve been living in Los Angeles, California for the last few years. You can imagine the contrast between the two [cities].  No matter how big or small, indie or commercial an artist’s or band’s music might be, no one ever skips Los Angeles.
 

You've performed at several music festivals last year, including Outside Lands, Firefly, and Bonaroo. What are the best and worst things about music festivals?

When you’re playing them, the best thing is artist catering. The worst thing is how quickly you have to set up and tear down for your set and how little of a line check and sound check you get.

Watch our interview with the boys of LANY via live stream, ahead of their Wanderland performance:

HONNE, LANY, Woodlock and YUNA are set to perform at Wanderland Music and Arts Festival on March 4, 2017. Get tickets here. Special thanks to Karpos Multimedia for setting up the interviews.