As if getting a place on the New Music Stage at Tramlines wasn’t enough, Sheffield’s own Hey Sholay have only gone and bagged themselves a slot at one of Europe’s biggest and best festivals!

The psychedelic indie-rockers have been named as the winners of NME’s Play @ Exit competition. So in just a couple of weeks, the band will be jetting off to sunny Serbia to perform at Exit Festival as part of an all-star lineup.

Guitarist Laurie Allport said:

“It’s amazing – it’s a wicked line-up in a really broad sense. You’ve got MIA, Jamiroquai, Arcade Fire, Grinderman. That’s crazy, all of those artists clubbed together. It’s good that they’ve got such eclectic taste.

“It’s a wicked opportunity to play such a big festival, and a completely different festival. The opportunity to steal fans is absolutely fantastic. We’re used to playing support shows. The vast majority of shows we play, the audience have no idea who we are anyway, so it’s nice that we can try and win over an audience. The idea of winning over so many people is nervewracking, but exciting.”

To win the Exit slot, Hey Sholay uploaded their tracks to a specially created Soundcloud page, alongside a whole host of other acts. The bands were then narrowed down to a shortlist based on a public vote, and NME’s New Music Editor Matt Wilkinson handpicked the final winner.

The festival starts on July 7, running until July 10. But before that, there’s the small matter of Hey Sholay’s single launch at S1 Artspace. They’ll be celebrating the release of ‘Dreamboat’ on July 1, with a show that will combine psychedelic audiovisuals with the band’s unique live performance. Of course, the single will be available on the night, with 250 one-off vinyl copies on offer, each with its own unique artwork. The band will also be releasing five foetus EPs – that’s a foot-long model of a baby complete with umbilical cord necklace and USB stick, stuffed with exclusive tracks.

Finally, after they’ve warmed up Serbia, Hey Sholay will return to Sheffield for Tramlines. They’ll play the Drowned in Sound New Music Stage at Barkers Pool on the Saturday, but they’re also working on an as-yet-undisclosed collaboration, and a secret headline slot that will be announced online under a pseudonym just a few hours before the gig. In the spirit of doing things differently, Tramlines might also see Allport debut his new – and frankly bonkers – customised double-neck guitar, which features a built-in microphone and Theremin.

In the meantime, keep an eye out for the band’s new video for ‘Dreamboat’, which is inspired by the surreal Greek indie flick, Dogtooth. Here’s a teaser to whet your appetite: