I was first introduced to the ethereal voice of Låpsley while listening to Huw Stephens’ BBC Introducing on Radio 1 earlier this year. Her simple electronica sound draws you in and creates an intimacy, intensified by her beautifully sincere lyrics. At only 19, the Merseyside artist sings far beyond her years; it’s not difficult to see why she is currently one of the most hotly-tipped emerging British artists.
When it was announced that Låpsley’s tour would be coming down to Brighton I knew that this was an opportunity too good to miss. The venue of ‘The Green Door Store’ is the kind of place that is difficult to find if you haven’t been there before. Tucked away beneath Brighton Station, this old railway yard plays host to up-and-coming artists on the verge of bigger things, the perfect venue for someone such as Låpsley.
On the night of the sold-out gig, the weather in Brighton was still balmy from our mini heat-wave, so my friend and I grabbed a quick pre-show beer outside first. Before long we could hear the electro synths of the supporting act ‘Oceaán’ that beckoned us inside. The Danish producer had been carefully selected to whet the crowd’s appetite for what was to follow.
The venue buzzed with anticipation and soon the lights dimmed and a single blue spotlight lit the stage. Låpsley took her place in front of the mic and immediately launched into her opening song, the beautiful ‘Brownlow’. The audience hung on her every word and remained completely silent throughout her performance, only interrupting to applaud. The purity of her voice was accompanied only by her own piano playing and the occasional addition of guitar and drums.
Mid-way through her song ‘Falling Short’, (the song played on Radio 1 which had first introduced me to Låpsley), she switched to another microphone which produced a version of her voice that had been pitch-shifted down. I was completely shocked to learn that this male-sounding voice on her record had in fact been her own all along. The result of the two versions of her voice duetting with each other was utterly enchanting.
Amongst the captivating melancholia of her released songs, were a few new additions, to the delight of the audience. The fact that this was her first time in Brighton just brought home how fresh to the music scene she actually was, however the maturity of her performance would have had you thinking very differently.
She even covered the Fleetwood Mac classic ‘Rhiannon’, stating that it was a personal favourite of hers. For someone so young, who has such great taste in music and can not only pull off a cover of such a popular song, but make it her own, has the potential to become something great. There is no doubt that Låpsley is going places and I personally can’t wait to see her career flourish.
Twitter: @MusicLapsley
