Groningen and Seattle, December 1st: The two cultural hotspots on their respective continents may be 8,000 kilometres apart, but they are closer than you might think when it comes to music. The ESNS23 announcement of an exclusive keynote interview with Sub Pop founders Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman by music journalist Everett True and Live on KEXP sessions underpins the fact that music lies at the heart of the connection between these seemingly faraway cities. And you can experience all this first-hand at ESNS 2023.

One of the highlights of the ESNS Conference is the exclusive keynote interview with Jonathan Poneman and Bruce Pavitt, the two founders of the legendary Sub Pop Label. The Seattle record label signed bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden and Mudhoney, being key players in the heyday of the grunge movement. In 1995, the owners of Sub Pop sold a 49% stake of the label to the Warner Music Group. Music journalist Everett True will dive deep into this story, an area of expertise for True since he followed the emerging grunge scene from its earliest moments in the late eighties.

Based in Seattle and with a shared focus on championing music from all around the globe, non-profit music organization KEXP has confirmed its attendance at ESNS 2023. The international radio station will host a number of its globally popular sessions during the festival from the legendary venue Vera, with exclusive performances and interviews from emerging and established artists. Stay tuned for programme announcements.

More speakers and panels have been announced for the ESNS Conference, including a panel on artist development through radio with various European public broadcasters present, the panels presented by EPIC and a panel on fair pay when it comes to streaming and a lot more.