Last year’s edition of Nil by Mouth was all about getting the ball rolling; this year Hairy Amp and The Goo Boy have decided to take things up a notch. Spread over two nights, October 5 and 6, Paceville venue, V-Gen, will welcome inside its walls a line-up that in indie circles can only be described as amazing, with Brighton trio Esben & the Witch billed as the headlining act at this year’s Nil by Mouth sessions.

The only British band (alongside American stalwarts Interpol, Sonic Youth and Cat Power) on the legendary US label Matador’s roster, Esben & the Witch’s star is rising fast. Not only were they nominated for BBC’s Sound of 2011 and Q magazine’s Next Big Thing, but their debut album Violet Cries was voted among NME’s Top 50 albums for the first half of 2011 as well as receiving worldwide critical acclaim.

Besides Esben & The Witch, Nil by Mouth will also feature two more British bands, namely Tall Ships and Joe Gideon & The Shark. Tall Ships, who recently headlined the BBC Introducing stages at Reading and Leeds festivals, will be performing here just days prior to the release of their much-anticipated debut album Everything Touching.

Nick Cave-endorsed brother-sister combo Joe Gideon & The Shark, on the other hand, will finally get to strut their stuff in Malta following their cancelled gig here last May.

Maltese talent is also an integral part of Nil by Mouth and this year’s edition will welcome noise merchants The Areola Treat and upcoming indie-rock act Violent Violets along with the UK-based but still very much Maltese singer-songwriter Carrie Haber, who will be flying in especially for the event.

The Nil by Mouth sessions are organised in collaboration with The British Council and the support of Event Solutions and Argento Hotel. Tickets cost €12 per day or €18 for a block ticket and are available from Coach & Horses (Msida), V-Gen (Paceville) or online.

www.hairyampmalta.com