Big Image + Heart Sauce

Stratford Sound Pathways (SSP) launches at Rother Street Arts House on 7 May, bringing a year-long programme of original, grassroots live music to Stratford-upon-Avon. Supported by Arts Council England and curated in partnership with Chalkpit Cassette Club, SSP is about building genuine routes into contemporary music for artists and audiences alike. Tonight is where it starts.

Headlining the launch are Big Image, a four-piece from Kidderminster whose sound sits at the intersection of indie songwriting and dance floor instinct. Rooted in the Midlands but drawing on a palette that spans baggy, acid house and propulsive guitar pop, they make music designed to close the gap between the band and the room. Having shared stages with DMA's, The Twang and The Sherlocks, and with a growing reputation for live shows that make people stop and pay attention, Big Image are exactly the kind of band SSP exists to champion: bold, regional, and on the rise.

Support comes from Heart Sauce, a Leicester four-piece whose fusion of funk, soul and indie grooves does exactly what a great support act should: set the temperature of the room and leave the crowd wanting more. Tight, colourful and built for a live setting, they bring energy and personality in equal measure.