In seven years, Portland has become one of the most popular indie acts in Belgium. The band led by frontman Jente Pironet made a name for themselves with sensitive, dreamy songs, which they elevate live into moments of hazy euphoria.

Portland broke through in 2018 as the winner of De Nieuwe Lichting. Their winning track, the captivating ‘Pouring Rain’, revealed its true nature as an anthem the following year on the stages of Rock Werchter and Pukkelpop. With their debut album ‘Your Colours Will Stain’ (2019), Portland confirmed their status as a major rising act. A tour across Belgium and Europe followed, including a sold-out AB.

After the pandemic years, 2023 was meant to be another important year for Portland. With their second album Departures, they aimed to reach a wider audience. But a devastating diagnosis shattered those dreams: Jente was diagnosed with three brain tumors. The day after his diagnosis, Portland still took to the stage of Cactusfestival to deliver an epic performance – in hindsight filled with meaning and urgency.
The treatment proved successful, and by 2024 Portland had returned to the stage. For Pironet, this personal hardship brought forth a new sound: more energetic, more hopeful, more expansive. Not only suited for intimate club shows, but also for the main stage.

Anyone listening today to their new, third album Champain can hear that Portland has achieved just that. The grief that Pironet and his bandmates have carried in recent years still resonates in every note, yet at the same time the band looks firmly ahead. The road is still long, but Portland is on its way, with the window open and the car radio turned up to eleven.

De Gentse band Rosie Stuart schrijft rauwe nummers vol contrasten: 100 procent zwart-wit, zonder ruimte voor grijs. Centraal in de band staat frontvrouw en songwriter Rosie, wiens rusteloze creativiteit het project voortstuwt.

Soms roept haar stem de onverschrokken je m’en foutisme van haar moeder op. Anderen horen nuances van Sinéad O’Connor, PJ Harvey of Patti Smith in Rosie’s opvallende zang.

Op 16 januari 2026 bracht Rosie Stuart hun '7″, Cupid / Vegan', uit op het Belgische label LABELMAN. De band werd ook geselecteerd als een van de drie winnaars van De Nieuwe Lichting ’26, de invloedrijke Belgische muziekwedstrijd georganiseerd door Studio Brussel.

Rosie is ook te horen op 'Pure Honesty', de nieuwe singe die ze samen uitbracht met Portland.