Sled Island Festival 2013

Sled Island Music & Arts Festival is a 4-day long, multi-venue festival that showcases a wide variety of emerging and established talent. It has hosted musicians such as Feist, Girl Talk, Sleep, Broken Social Scene, Yo la Tango, Wire, RZA, Of Montreal, Tegan and Sara on the same stages as some of the best up and coming bands. Approximately 30,000 people attend the various rooms and the central outdoor venue over the course of the festival.

Sled Island is looking for a wide range of bands that stray outside the boundaries of commercial rock from emerging to established artists. 60-120 compensated slots are reserved for Sonicbids artists. In 2012, Sled Island hosted 250+ acclaimed artists, including over 125 artists selected via Sonicbids.

Here’s what selected artists get:

• Artists will be compensated $100.


• Excellent exposure through Sled Island's website, international media partners and extensive marketing campaign.


• Artists will receive full festival passes for the festival.


• A sound system will be provided at the venue, but artists are responsible for bringing their own instruments, backline and any additional equipment.


• Selected artists will be provided the opportunity to perform in unique, intimate venues to music fans from around the world who will be making the trip to Calgary. Please note: Touring artists will have to provide their own travel and lodging accommodations, though some billeting will be provided.

How artists are selected:

Hundreds of applications are made each year by musicians of all types. As the festival grows in size and reputation, so does the competitiveness of the selection process.

A diverse listening committee made up festival staff, musicians, critics, promoters, radio DJs and other industry professionals from across Western Canada will assess the applications based on a combination of the quality of music submitted, its fit with the festival's current vision and its fit with the festival schedule's needs. The quality of the music is far more important to the assessment panel than professional promotional photos or lengthy biographical information, however live reviews and performance footage included in your EPK can help to complete our listening committee's picture of your submission's fit within the festival.

In short, our listening committee is hoping to be excited by your music and the thought of seeing you or your band perform live at one of Sled Island 2013's slots.

More about the festival:

In addition to the performers listed above, past musical acts include Feist, Andrew W.K., The Hold Steady, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Russian Circles, Archers of Loaf, Thurston Moore, José Gonzalez, Okkervil River, Secret Machines, the Dodos, Drive-By Truckers, Deerhunter, Dan Deacon, Blitzen Trapper, The Bronx, Jonathan Richman, King Khan & the Shrines, Monotonix, Mogwai, No Age, The Gutter Twins, Woodpigeon, Chad VanGaalen, Jain Vane & The Dark Matter and Women. Previous guest music curators have been Andrew W.K., Danny Vacon (The Dudes), Scott Kannberg (Pavement, Spiral Stairs), Colin Newman (Wire), Fucked Up, King Khan and Quintron and Miss Pussycat to name a few.

Participating venues include Olympic Plaza, Broken City, Republik, The Ship and Anchor, The HiFi Club, #1 Legion, Palomino Smokehouse and many more centered in the Beltline and Downtown districts of Calgary.

Sled Island Media:

SLED ISLAND | PROMO from deluxe design group on Vimeo.

Austin Tufts of the band Braids, selected to open for Deerhunter at Sled Island in 2007, reflects on Sled Island, stating that "It's a classic example of Sled Island doing exactly what it's supposed to; pairing local talent with international musicians whom have a lot more status in the industry." Click here for the rest of the story.



Be sure to check out the feature on Sled Island in the Calgary Herald.