Next year will be The Great Escape's tenth, so to celebrate we're taking a look at some of the best artists to have played our stages over the years. For this week's TBT we're back to 2013...

Iggy Azalea (Australia)

Played @ The Warren
Following the success of early singles "Bounce' and "Work' Iggy Azalea's dynamic 2013 TGE set (her first ever at a UK festival) went down a storm at The Warren. With hordes of fans queuing up for a show that saw crazy dancing to hip hop beats, some fierce MCing, and Azalea taking a dip in the crowd we were hardly surprised at her subsequent rise to mega stardom. After going on to play huge festivals including Reading and Leeds, Oxegen and Wireless, and releasing her debut album "The New Classic' along with major singles "Fancy' and "Problem' she's certainly cemented her position amongst the biggest musical explosions of 2014. Winning two AMAs just last week for Favourite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist and Album, this girl's grafting can only take her further. Her reissue of her debut album, "Reclassified' has just been released.

Ella Eyre (UK)

Played @ The Dome Concert Hall
Soulful songstress Ella Eyre has been making waves for a while now - her big break came after she featured on Rudimental's number one single "Waiting All Night' which went on to win the BRIT for Single of the Year. Having played TGE for the last two years, and winning a support slot for Kelis at Brighton Dome last year, Ella never fails to amaze with such a phenomenal voice and huge intensity. Last two singles "If I Go' and "Comeback' both made the top twenty with her taking runner up in the BBC's Sound of 2014 poll and the MOBO award for Best Newcomer - the stage is set for Ella to make a huge impact with her debut album when it comes out next year. Until then, having just finished supporting Bastille in the US, she's supporting Olly Murs on his UK arena tour next year.

London Grammar (UK)

Played @ St Bartholomew's Church
London Grammar's atmospheric electro-pop was only made all the more poignant by the beautiful setting of St Bartholomew's Church during their TGE13 set. Hannah Reid's stunning vocals, atop a melancholy, ethereal sound made for a show to remember. The trio have since graced many of the biggest festivals in the UK over the last two summers, with performances at Bestival, T in the Park and Glastonbury, plus a headline slot at Wilderness last summer. Their debut album "If You Wait' peaked at number two in the UK charts, with single "Strong' making the top twenty. Although no more UK tour dates are currently scheduled (the band are in the US and Canada at the start of next year), we're sure they'll be back before we know it.

CHVRCHES (UK)

Played @ Digital
CHVRCHES are definitely on to something good - the infectious electro trio have soared since their formation in 2011, racking up critical praise and fans left right and centre. The synth-heavy trio, topped off by Lauren Mayberry's distinctive, ethereal vocals proved a highlight of TGE13 for many. Since then, the Scottish electro stars went on to win a prize at SXSW for developing artists, appeared on TV in the US, and scored a spot on the Lorde-curated, star-studded Hunger Games soundtrack. In the last summer alone the band have played Reading and Leeds, Bestival and Glastonbury, as well as many other festivals internationally; currently on tour in Asia, we're sure it won't be long until CHVRCHES reach global superstardom.

Young Fathers (UK)

Played @ Brighthelm Centre/The Dome Studio
Although perhaps a little lesser known than this year's other Mercury Prize nominees, that didn't prove a problem for our second Scottish trio featured in this piece - Young Fathers scooped the award back in September with debut album "DEAD'. Their TGE performance was full of sheer energy and purpose, which clearly hasn't waned. The alternative hip-hop innovators have always been plugged by the critics; their second EP, "Tape Two' won Scottish Album of the Year, as well as praise from many others. Aggressive and catchy (the album's lead single "GET UP' is the perfect example of the combination), with a multitude of influences, Young Fathers are exciting, high energy and fearless. Recording their follow-up album in Berlin, we're intrigued to see what influence the city will have on their ever-evolving sound.

Other stand out artists to have played TGE 2013 include: Beach Fossils, Childhood, Crystal Fighters, John Newman, King Krule, Klaxons, Mac De Marco, Melody's Echo Chamber, Parquet Courts, Temples, Tom Odell, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Wolf Alice.

Here is our playlist featuring a few stand out artists from TGE 2013:

Words by Eleanor Weinel

The post #TBT - A RETROSPECTIVE LOOK AT TGE 2013 appeared first on The Great Escape.