What a better way to spend a Sunday than to go to Church.
How does that saying go? A Sunday well spent brings a week of content and Lewis Mclaughlin delivered a great Sunday on the penultimate night of his A Hope In Fear tour in Dundee.
Mairi Sutherland
A young singer songwriter, writing folk esq songs. Having seen Mairi earlier in the year supporting Moonlight Zoo in Roots it was fantastic to see her growth and confidence as a performer while owning a much bigger stage. Mairi announced recording an EP soon that is likely to be out in the spring. I would say her songs are for fans of Nina Nesbitt and Ben Howard – some nice intricate guitar detail and lovely vocals. Keep your eyes peeled for what is to come next for Mairi.
James Liandu
I saw James back in August supporting Copper Lungs with his band so it was a more relaxed vibe tonight as he played his set as a duo with guitar and cajon. James is a talented singer – songwriter who always manages to win the audience over with his infectious on stage energy. A highlight from his set was finding out the audience passed the ‘vibe check’ for singing along to his track Cycle which has a really impressive middle 8 rap and a great opportunity for the crowd to sing a long to the chorus.
Lewis Mclaughlin
Releasing his second album A Hope In Fear in August, it was time to take his creative work on tour with his band.
It was Lewis’s first time in Dundee and so it was good to be front and centre to catch the show. What Lewis does best is write songs that tell stories from all different angles and showcases the turbulence journey of life. On speaking on the aim of the album previously Lewis said;
“I wanted this album to capture the raw energy of our live performances,”
Lewis and his band delivered a set filled with music, laughs, heartfelt moments and gratitude for being on that stage. The band have a powerful chemistry on stage and their sheer joy of playing together was indisputable.
His track ‘pressure‘ began with a super cool catchy 80s synth riff with stand out lyrics ‘when your life feels sh*t and it feels so grey there is always someone just behind you, gets you through another day’ which really resonated with me, as at times when you are low you can get so lost and forget they you often do have people to lean on.
Lewis built a super connection with the audience by being his authentic self, having a laugh, cracking jokes about playing in God’s house on a Sunday and challenging the crowd to a dance off for free merch it kept the mood light amongst some slightly ‘heavy’ topic songs. Somehow Lewis’s songwriting captures beauty even in the dark and I feel that’s a real credit to him as an artist.
What I most liked about the night was how cohesive the band were, switching guitars throughout, changing drum beaters to sticks (slick change by the way) and the set list being curated in such a way that it was a musical journey and a possible insight into Lewis’s life. All of this before I even talk about the beautiful three part harmonies that the boys pulled off in great style throughout.
“I’m not doing this walking off the stage and coming back on again for an encore, I’m tired so let’s just play” Lewis joked as the band surge into I’m not running which screamed Paolo Nutini vibes from the Sunny Side Up days. Up beat and fun.
McLaughlin reminds me a lot of Frightened Rabbit; the phrasing in which he sings, singing unashamedly in his strong accent and some of the heavier indie/folk guitar strumming that he does. Returning home from the gig to read that he works creatively with Andy Monaghan (Frightened Rabbit Guitarist) sheds some light as to some of the strong resemblance within his style.
The whole band and the songs and set was fresh, fun, thought proving and clever. Bridging the gap between indie and folk. I would definitely bring some more friends down to see him next time he is in town.
