Fenne Lily‘s understated, soft, yet seething lyrics captivated her sold out crowd at The Islington on Wednesday night, and we were impressed by her tentative voice and startling self-awareness. Whilst persistent sound issues kept taking listeners out of the moment, Fenne Lily managed to bring them back into it with a combination of perfect vocals and self-deprecating humour.
Whilst her songs often ring with sadness and pain, her not-so-PG stories – including one about a guy who ruined Back To The Future for her by asking for a blow job – make her live performances a real joy to witness.
Accompanied by her bassist and drummer for the majority of her set, she effortlessly performed singles ‘What’s Good’, ‘Bud’ and ‘On Hold’ as well as delivering a poignant solo rendition of track ‘Brother’. She performed the tear-inducing ‘Three Oh Nine’ in her trademark modest, stunning style and even in her sleep-deprived state – she’d spent almost a solid 24 hours hand-painting tote bags for the merch stand – she’s a beguiling, beautiful performer.
We recommend you catch her now, before she inevitably becomes uncatchable.
Support came from Oxford group Be Good, who won the crowd over with their indie-pop sounds and hap-hazard charm.
Fenne Lily’s debut album On Hold will be released on 6th April. Pre-order it here.
Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut
Get In Her Ears 