Fuzzness is bringing the riff back to the Highlands — and it’s only getting bigger

Seven bands. One custom-brewed beer. A genre that the Highlands barely knew it was missing. We spoke to Deano — frontman of Cage The Ox and Event Organiser & Promoter behind Fuzzness — about what makes this year’s festival worth the journey north.

For a genre that thrives on noise, fuzz rock can be surprisingly hard to find — especially this far north. That’s what Deano, frontman of Highland doom outfit Cage The Ox, set out to change when he launched Fuzzness. What started as a local showcase for an underserved sound has grown into one of the most distinct annual events on the Scottish music calendar.

“Originally it started when Cage The Ox first formed,” he explains. “We noticed that this genre wasn’t really available before, and the main aim was to offer something new — showcasing talent from the UK and further, across all sub-genres of fuzz and bringing them all the way up to the Highlands.”

“Everyone will have their own favourite band of the night.”

That philosophy shapes everything about how Fuzzness is put together — including the running order. Rather than defaulting to a straight climb in prestige, Deano builds the bill around feel. “When it’s a long day ahead, you want each band that goes on to be refreshing from the last,” he says. “The running order is based on the best band for the job.” This year that means Teleost opening proceedings — chosen specifically because, in Deano’s words, “they set the tone for the whole day with their style and really know how to open a set with impact.”

Alongside the music, Fuzzness has quietly built something rarer: a genuine community. “Creating a community for all things fuzz that wasn’t here before in the Highlands and watching it grow has been phenomenal,” Deano says. The ambition for where that community goes next is equally clear — “we hope Fuzzness becomes a destination for lovers of the music internationally.”

New this year is a collaboration with Dog Falls Brewing Co, who have crafted a limited lager brewed exclusively for the festival — light, fruit-forward, and citrusy. “Because we’re in such a unique part of the world, we have the opportunity to collaborate with some amazing Highland businesses right on our doorstep,” Deano explains. “Bob, the owner of Dog Falls, is such a big fan of the genre — it really just clicked.” Deano even went into the brewery to help make it himself.

The Full Lineup

Seven bands covering the full spectrum of fuzz — from psych-tinged stoner blues to face-melting sludge doom. Here’s who’s playing and what to expect.

Teleost · Opens the show Simple, melodic, and crushingly heavy. Deano picked them to open for a reason, they set the tone from the first note and don’t let it slip. If you know Slomatics or Floor you’ll get it immediately. If you don’t, you’re about to.

Isak If you like your rock with a bit of space and swagger, Isak are your band. Riff-driven and wide-sounding, they take their time and it pays off every time.

Trill Loud, heavy, and not messing about. Trill deal in the kind of slow-burning sludge and doom that sits in your chest long after the set ends. Fans of Electric Wizard will feel right at home.

Cage The Ox · Hosts The band behind the whole thing. Cage The Ox are a Highland three-piece who play heavy, slow, and loud — exactly what you’d want from the team running the day.

Kryss Talmeth Experience Equal parts groove and grime. The kind of band where you find yourself nodding along before you’ve even registered it’s happening.

Solar Sons Big riffs, big vocals, big energy. Solar Sons bring a classic rock and roll spirit to everything they do and they never let the tempo drop when it matters.

Froglord Heavy, swampy, and brilliantly odd. Froglord are the kind of band you don’t quite expect and can’t stop watching once they start.

With next year marking the fifth anniversary, Deano has plenty in the works. “We will always want to push Fuzzness to be bigger and better each time — and hopefully make it an internationally known event for all things riff.” For now though, the Highlands has seven very good reasons to turn up on 18 April at The Tooth & Claw.