University musician gears up to rock the stage in front of thousands at Northampton Music Festival

As Northampton prepares to welcome more than 11,000 attendees to the town’s annual music festival, one student from the University of Northampton is preparing to step out and open up the festival’s main stage.

Currently in her second year of studying Popular Music at the University of Northampton, Liv West juggles her course studies alongside rehearsals and performances with her indie pop/rock band, Tiebreak.

Comprised of five members – three of which currently study at the University – the band established themselves in 2023 and are already making waves in the local music scene, performing recently at a concert in Pattishall and again later this month at The Lab, Northampton.

Music has always been the ‘end goal’ for Liv, who explains: “Music has always been a huge part of my life, though not in the way many might expect!

“I grew-up largely listening to and playing classical music, and the first instrument I had a love for was the oboe. It wasn’t until I reached the age of 15 that I emerged on the popular music scene, then went on to study Music Performance and Production at Milton Keynes College – and now, university and beyond!

“Each of us within Tiebreak have different musical influences and tastes, which is great for giving us an authentic style with what we perform. Our output definitely leans into indie pop, electronic and ‘spacey’ – but we love being creative with what we create.”

As well as opening the main stage for Northampton Music Festival, Liv will also be performing alongside her course mates on The Student Showcase Stage – featuring performances from the University of Northampton’s Popular Music and Music Production students* – to take homegrown musical talent to the streets of Northampton at Performing Room on Guildhall Road.

As excitement continues to build ahead of the festival, Liv is excited to take to the stage and show what Tiebreak can do: “Last year, Northampton Music Festival’s headliner was Mae Stephens, a big-name pop music artist whose single ‘If We Ever Broke Up’ reached the top numbers of the charts (and who comes from Northampton!), so to follow in her footsteps on the same stage is amazing.

“The layout of our town means you can walk everywhere, so the festival is great for allowing people to wander between stages and discover new artists and new genres they might otherwise not already have in their playlists.

“There are so many great venues in Northampton where there’s something happening every week, so it’s fantastic to be involved in such a big calendar event for the town.”

Liv and Tiebreak will be taking to the main stage – hosted in Northampton’s Market Square – at 12pm on Sunday 7 September, and will be entertaining both music and sports enthusiasts alike as rugby fans are set to celebrate the latest local game in the Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Performing after Tiebreak will then be Banké Naya, a soulful artist, creator, and storyteller who graduated from the University of Northampton in 2024 with a Master’s degree in Project Management.

Follow Tiebreak on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Threads via @tiebreak.uk.

Find out more about studying Popular Music and Music Production at the University of Northampton.

*The full line-up for the Student Showcase Stage is as follows:
12:00 – Liam Teall
12:15 – Alfie Brown
12:35 – Woodrow Williams
12:55 – Odell Eady
13:25 – The Foxes
13:50 – Cherry Twilight
14:15 – colourmebeth
14:45 – Felix Glover New Jack Soul
15:05 – Seem
15:30 – One Way Ticket
16:00 – Garrotte
16:30 – Electric Boogaloo
17:00 – Introverts
17:30 – Silver