SOAK returns to The Great Escape

The Great Escape showcases new talent but also welcomes back those who are on the brink of huge mainstream success.

SOAK played this festival in Brighton two years ago, when no one had really heard of her.

Now, the 19-year-old is back at the seaside town as one of the acts everyone is itching to see.

"It's really weird," she told Newsbeat, "but it's nice to come back and move up the ranks."

There are more than 300 acts will perform in bars and venues across the city over the three day festival including the likes of Slaves, The Cribs, Alabama Shakes as well as newer artists like Lion Babe, Shamir and Jack Garrett.

For many, it's their first experience of a British festival, although there's no mud.

"I played in the basement of where Rizzle Kicks were playing," SOAK told us about her first performance at The Great Escape.

"I have really good memories from that show and I met a lot of really nice people."

SOAK performed at Glastonbury in 2014

She explained how this festival can be a big help to emerging artists.

"I met a lot of the crew that I have now through playing this festival," she said.

"It was really good for me, it got me out to a much bigger audience, I was really thankful for it."

SOAK, whose real name is Bridie Monds-Watson, has another big date coming up.

Her debut album, Before We Forgot How To Dream, will be released on 1 June.

"I've had a lot of time to think about it so at this stage I just really want it out," she said.

"I'm excited to hear people's reaction to it.

"I am really proud of it and it's weird because it unconsciously took me four years to make, just because I was naturally writing songs.

"I like that now it is this thing that I can hold."

Many artists say they find it hard to see an end point when they write a record, but for Bridie, she knew immediately.

"We were recording the last tracks O Brother," she explained.

"That's my favourite track on the record. I went home and was listening to some other stuff and I thought 'yeah I am happy with that'."

Her mum nearly made it on to the album, just out of motherly concern for what Bridie might want for her tea.

"Me and Tommy, who produced the record, are generally just funny in the studio anyway," she told us.

"There are definitely a lot of recorded phone calls where my mum's called me in the middle of a vocal to ask me what I want for dinner and Tommy has recorded it, I hope it ends up on a remix somewhere or B-sides."

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