Emma LouiseThe compact and intimate Visy Theatre, down in the depths of the Powerhouse, is the perfect place to be sheltered away from the rain and howl currently surrounding the building. The space is made even cosier by local three-piece Sleepy Tea. The gentlemen make up the undercard this evening and deliver a set of emotive ballads using a twin guitar set-up, with textures and rhythms injected through a multi-instrumentalist who mans a range of technology including keyboards and sampler. The curly-haired frontman admits candidly that his hand is shaking, but nerves don't affect the lovely tunes in the slightest. There are some real surprises locked in these tracks, especially during the climactic moments, and even though the mix is a bit messy the end result is one of provoking beauty.
Adopted Brissie lass Emma Louise has established herself as one of our city's most promising young musicians, and tonight a select few are given an introduction into the Cairns native's forthcoming debut record. The verdict: be excited. Louise has dramatically matured as a songwriter, extending her reach from a guitar strumming singer to become an enigmatic performer in the vein of Bat For Lashes or Bjork. Fronting a four-piece band, the quintet get things underway with Boy, and immediately the room is transfixed. The line of “spending time smoking cigarettes” seems to add even more colour through the haze of lighting. The scent of incense is inescapable. Louise is decked out in a shimmery top and floral tights, but manages to remain understated; the members of her live band are equally unassuming yet completely in synch with each other, locking in tightly to deliver the new tracks with confidence. Mirrors – a song about being threatened by a situation – is full of tropical layers and percussion, while the progressive Caged sees Louise pushing down a darker path entirely, the voice of the diminutive blonde soaring while she keeps her finger on a Kaoss Pad, triggering a variety of effects. The new songs position guitars almost as an afterthought, used to build mood rather than direct and dictate, and drumming is delivered both traditionally and electronically. Louise introduces the bold Atlas Eyes as one of her favourites and the last of the new batch to get written, before she dips back into her established canon, her band departing the stage for the sadly beautiful 1000 Sundowns, then returning to speed through an energised Jungle. A trancey new track closes the main set, Louise getting her groove on with two microphones, before she and Hannah Shepherd swan back out to sign off with the raw Temporary Friend. This star's long been born, but now she's fully formed.
