New for 2026, Paint by Chords invites you to a unique music & art experience - a live podcast recording where you are invited to a live music performance, whilst putting brush to canvas. Materials & canvases are provided.

Picture it. A musician performs a live acoustic set, and you are given a canvas and materials (acrylic, watercolour, oil pastels, markers, brushes, and palettes). It's up to you how you respond to the music; let the vibe take over and be inspired.

We'll then share and discuss the stories and influences behind your paintings, which are recorded for an episode of the ArtyParti podcast (mixed into a rich audiophonic listen).

Rinse and repeat; another acoustic set, another canvas, then another discussion.

It'll be a fun and chilled event to enjoy being inspired by music,
and to make connections with other artists & creatives in the city.

Announcing August’s musician… Louis Young

Our musician this month is Louis Young - whose calm acoustic sound is a joy to behold. "My name is Louis Young, I'm based in Sunderland but from Fife, Scotland.

"I'm working on music and multimedia project "Inheretic", which I am currently building up to my first releases after a long writing / recording stage.

"The music is very loose, experimental and lo-fi, with an improvisational quality and strong emphasis on layering analog sounds with my acoustic guitar."

Place: Port Independent

4 St. Thomas Street, Sunniside, Sunderland, SR1 1QD

Date: Friday 28th August 2026

Time: 6pm - 9pm

Tickets are £15 (plus VAT)

You can buy tickets on Eventbrite

or free for everyone who supports us on Patreon as a 'Bestie' (£7 a month)