Omni-Fest 20.

Lorraine is a long-time friend of Omnichord Heaven, first appearing on the old website with Karina Townsend as 50% of the Chalkwell Ladies. Many people know her as Britain's Got Talent finalist and Golden Buzzer awardee, "The Crumble Lady".

Behind the polyester facade she is an incredibly talented songwriter and musician. We felt privileged to have her open Omni-Fest 20.

• Lorraine Bowen website
• Lorraine Bowen on Facebook

Barney started playing rhythm guitar at about 15, with his first band playing at the infamous Roxy punk club in London in 1979. Along the way he collected a love of offbeat instruments, including the OM-27 Omnichord.

The original line-up of Cult Figures released two singles in 1979 and 1980. When Barney joined the later line-up, he was asked what else he could bring to the collective. The Omnichord was the result, and although only used on one song at first, it became a talking point after shows.

The debut album The 166 Ploughs a Lonely Furrow gained favourable reviews, followed by new EP releases including Silver Blades.

• Cult Figures on Bandcamp
• Cult Figures on YouTube
• Cult Figures on Facebook

Sue McLaren is a British vocalist, producer and writer in the dance and trance music scene, incredibly well respected for her work. Her vocals layer beautifully with the atmospheric sounds of the genre.

We first met Sue after she sent her Omnichord in for repair, and were really intrigued to hear her at Omni-Fest 20.

• Trespass on YouTube
• Sue McLaren on Facebook

LASS is the electropop DIY project of Kasia Klimczyk, based in Warsaw, connecting feminine sensibility with modern tools of electronic music.

The Polish singer and producer has performed at festivals around the world, including events in New York, South Korea, Poland, Lithuania and Slovakia.

• LASS on Instagram
• LASS on Spotify
• LASS on YouTube
• LASS on Patreon

Hurryman, aka Rob van der Plas, is our very good friend and a singer/songwriter from the Netherlands. After starting his Omnichord blog in 2000, probably the world's first Omnichord resource, he became one of the administrators of the Facebook Qchord & Omnichord group and the Omnichord Heaven Facebook page.

As Hurryman he records and performs dark and dreamy pop songs: dreampop with a touch of Nordic frost, with influences including Madrugada, Bowie, Cave, Low and Daniel Lanois.

• Hurryman website
• Hurryman on Bandcamp
• 30 songs in 30 days playlist

Tawny Ellis is an accomplished singer, songwriter, sculptor, actress and producer, known for thoughtful lyrics and a distinctive sound rooted in sweet Southern folk.

Her voice has drawn comparisons with country and folk voices from years past, while her music tours, recording sessions and collaborations have taken her across North America and Europe.

• Tawny Ellis on Facebook
• Tawny Ellis website

Honolili, aka Lia Gibert, is an architect and singer-songwriter from Mallorca. Her music is inspired by legendary bands and vocalists of the 60s, 70s and 80s.

Her vocals, acoustic guitar, ukulele and Omnichord transport you instantly to another decade. For Omni-Fest 20, her "Tropical Dream Pop" was the set to chill out to.

• Honolili on YouTube
• Honolili on Facebook
• Honolili on Spotify
• Honolili on Instagram

We first came across Anna Toy in 2013 performing a beautiful version of "In My Dreams" on her OM-300. She and Andy Toy joined forces to become MOXI.

Their sound draws on modern pop and 80s cinema, pairing Anna's distinct vocals with dark textures, moody guitar sonics and memorable dream-pop melodies. Many tracks feel ready-made for film.

• MOXI on YouTube
• MOXI on Facebook
• MOXI website

New Zealand born songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lisa Crawley grew up teaching classmates how to play recorder. Three EPs, two albums and numerous singles later, she has charmed audiences across national and international stages.

Career highlights include opening for Suzanne Vega, John Mayer, Jools Holland, Paul Weller and Simply Red, and starring as GIRL in the Tony Award-winning musical Once.

• Lisa Crawley website
• Lisa Crawley on Facebook
• Lisa Crawley on Instagram

Rachel Pearl first caught our attention with an unusual live recording where she made superb use of a dance style on her Qchord, along with the bass line: something we had never seen or heard before.

A fiery flash of red hair, Rachel Pearl favours well-crafted pop hooks in the vein of Sia, sounding nostalgic and futuristic all at once.

• Rachel Pearl on Instagram
• Rachel Pearl on Facebook

Casey Desmond is one of Omnichord Heaven's long-time friends. We have followed her career with interest, mesmerized by her love of cool vintage instruments and captivated by her stunning vocals.

Casey is an award-winning vocalist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and engineer from Boston, MA, currently living in Oakland, CA. Her credits span dark folk, electronic dance work and synth-laden experimental pop.

• Casey Desmond website
• Casey Desmond on Facebook

Jenny Mitchell, from Guelph, Ontario, discovered the joy of Omnichord when she was 15 years old. Her unique and creative mind, together with this interesting instrument, became Jenny Omnichord.

Jenny has several albums to her name and an international following, both as Jenny Omnichord and under her own name with Bird City. In 2020 she was celebrating 20 years of live performances, making her the perfect Omni-Fest 20 headliner.

• Jenny Omnichord on Facebook
• Jenny Omnichord on Bandcamp