HOTLY-TIPPED Southampton band Wild Front will play their biggest show so far at next week’s Isle of Wight festival after landing a coveted slot on the Big Top second stage.

Frontman Jack Williams, lead guitarist Joe Connell, bassist Mike Flowers and drummer Josh Betteridge will join Yorkshire stars The Sherlocks, Reading’s The Amazons and Irish headliners The Strypes when the famous tent hosts some of the most exciting guitar bands on Sunday June 11. They’re also playing Saturday’s Hard Rock stage alongside fellow local lads The Novatones and London bands Paves and Judas.

“It’s less than two years since we played our first show together as Wild Front at The Joiners, so this is mad for us” said Jack, who appeared on the Isle of Wight Kashmir Cafe stage as a solo artist in 2014. “Our management told us the news over Skype and we were stoked straight away, so excited. Everyone’s coming over - my Mum’s camping the weekend.”

“We’ve a steady seven songs for the set, but we’re also planning a surprise interlude that takes us back to our roots when Jack did solo folky acoustic songs using a bow on his guitar” said Josh.

“Definitely something to look out for” added Joe, who’s previously played guitar for Southampton songstress Charley Macaulay at Isle of Wight.

Jack, Mike and Joe originally met at Totton College, started jamming together and then with Josh began supporting Jack on his solo work. Currently based in London and Brighton, Josh and Jack travel back every Wednesday to Southampton to practice, produce and record at Joe’s home studio, plus maintain their ambitious target of writing a song a week.

Members of the band, who also play their dreamy indie-pop, funky guitar and heavier beats at this year’s Bestival, have released a single every month since September including Rico, which aired on Radio One on Boxing Day. There’s one more coming this month, then a second EP is planned in July.

Their plan to get as much music out as possible seems to be working - the band already has a big following in the south after shows at The Joiners, in London and at Brighton’s Great Escape festival, plus BBC South Introducing sessions on Saturday nights with Stephanie Nieuwenhuys.

Now their biggest weekend so far on the Isle of Wight should win them even more fans.

Wild Front play the Hard Rock stage (Saturday) and the Big Top (Sunday) at Isle of Wight Festival (8-11 June), more at isleofwightfestival.com.

By Richard Derbyshire