Organisers: Cat Power "willnot be playing Laneway"

Cat Power will not be headlining next year’s St Jerome’s Laneway Festival after all.

Speculation that the US singer, otherwise known as Chan Marshall, would be returning to Australia for the festival began when Marshall herself confirmed she’d be touring in early February, conveniently aligning with the dates of next year’s Laneway. Combined with a statement from Laneway that female artists would once again take centre stage, Marshall seemed a shoe-in for the bill.

But a tweet today from the official @lanewayfest account has put paid to those rumours.

Cat power will not be playing Laneway… Bill is now set though and we’re salivating

— Laneway Festival (@lanewayfest) September 9, 2012

The full bill for what Laneway are calling their “mega dream line-up” will be announced on September 26. Considering that last year’s festival included M83, Anna Calvi, The Horrors, Austra, Feist, Laura Marling, Pajama Club, Glasser, DZ Deathrays, The Drums and Cults, organisers have certainly set the bar pretty high. Other acts rumoured for Laneway include Japandroids, Divine Fits, Yeasayer, Mount Eerie and Cloud Nothings.

Cat Power new album’s Sun, our feature album this week, has been called “a feat of musical and emotional maturity” by Drowned In Sound; “A thrilling journey of rediscovery” by Q; “Her riskiest, most vital album” by Rolling Stone; and “a Cat Power party record” by FL reviewer Doug Wallen. Basically, what we’re saying is that it’s pretty good.