An unprecedented cold snap was not enough to deter crowds from The Hi-Fi last night where indie songstress, Emma Louise, was due to perform the only Brisbane show in her tour’s sold-out, tri-state run.
After the resounding success of her EP in 2011, Louise looks poised to not only reaffirm her stance as a breakthrough artist but also to use her debut album, Vs Head Vs Heart, to redefine the essence of her performance
Patrick James was first on the bill and set the tempo for the rest of the night. His raw vocals commanded a sprawling audience; to the devoted gig-goers at the front, reaching as far back as those lulling by the bar up on the second tier.
The acoustic guitar, stripped back piano and soft banjo accompaniment had an understated confidence that lent itself to influences from James Taylor and The Fray.
Despite a minor hiccup with the xylophone towards the end of their set, the boys were charming on stage and it was hard to tell if the crowd’s wolf-whistles were for them or an attempt to join in the melody of their EP’s title track, “All About to Change.”
The second support act, Brissy girl, Thelma Plum kept the energy up as she exuded all things sweet and sassy; taking a moment to cite inspiration from beloved pets and not-so-beloved ex-boyfriend before launching into lyrically forthright songs.
“Around Here” was a particular favourite amongst the audience and saw them join in irresistibly boppy choral refrains (a mixture of “la-de-da’s” and “fuck you’s”). Her stage presence was captivating in its modesty – characterised by shuffling bare feet and hands that sensuously felt for notes, it allowed her voice to remain the focus.
The anticipation was palpable as the curtains were drawn and preparations began for the headlining act. Close to 10:30, Emma Louise and her four-piece band finally appeared as shadowy contours on a backlit stage. She raised a fingerless leather glove in an iconic silhouette and strummed the guitar slung over her shoulder to cheers, before atmospheric synths and drums built on the sound’s intensity and rendered the venue silently transfixed.
Louise greets the crowd briefly after their first instrumental and seems to confer with the band members surrounding her on elevated platforms before going back to immerse them in the glitchy guitars and delicate vocals of her album’s third official single, “Mirrors.”
Lanterns surrounded her in suitably ethereal light as she gripped the microphone and swayed back and forth, the music taking on a wave-like quality that came in hypnotic surges. At times, the singer’s movements seemed tortured as she concentrated on the complex layering of vocals and instruments that resonated in the full-capacity space; such vulnerability delivering long-lasting impressions in place of disposable hooks.
She adapted to the live setting with ease and there was little discrepancy between it and her studio recordings. Louise took the opportunity to probe the crowd lightheartedly about Vs Head Vs Heart, which was released in Australia March of this year, while the production crew fixed a minor issue with their amps.
Then the set moved onto “Cages,” where she alluded to the real-life poignancy of the lyrics having to give away her bird, Henry, to come on tour, dedicating the song to his new owners. “This one’s for you!” she said, to echoes of applause.
In this way, the Brisbane songstress showcased unwavering versatility throughout the night by revisiting her back catalogue, interspersed with more recent synth-soaked tracks like “Freedom,” which deserves all the commercial kudos it’s been receiving. The show continued along in the same vein of whimsical highs and lows featuring “Jungle” from her critically acclaimed EP, Full Hearts And Empty Rooms; the rhythmic phrasing of “Boy,” and her own compelling interpretation of Alt-J’s “Tessellate,” where the bass and glockenspiel emerged as true heroes.
In unorthodox fashion, Louise wrapped up the show by explaining she didn’t like the concept of encores and would perform her final song then and there, but not before the lights were dimmed and everyone was made to illuminate the stage with their phones… It was a strange request, but the effect of waving pinpricks of light scattered in the crowd possessed a surreal beauty that was a fitting sendoff for the group.
The night culminated in this display of overwhelming audience participation, enhanced by their awe-inspiring dreamy pop and proved Emma Louise is truly not afraid to be different. In fact, she prefers it that way.
