Live Review: Emma Louise

From all the commotion and excitement outside on this packed Brisbane Festival night, entering into the beautifully composed Spiegeltent with its floorboards and high marquee is almost otherworldly.  All seats are already taken and extra stools are being brought in for the local songbird's first sold-out show. Lights out inside the tent causes a stir of excitement before young Emma Louise steps out in a pastel blazer with her band.

She immediately mesmerises as her vocals float above the marquee, causing even some lined at the bar to uncontrollably stop mid-order. This halting opening and the authenticity of the venue set the magic for the rest of the show. Clearly this effect can be seen from the stage as she casually converses about how much she “loves playing in the Spiegeltent but it makes me nervous. So please talk and be happy when I'm not singing but be quiet when I am.” This breaks the ice a bit, causing a few giggles from the crowd which up until this was opera-style still. It may be the setting, the sound or just the whole atmosphere but the audience just can't help being stunned with the Vs Head Vs Heart tracks and its electronic goodness while Emma Louise stretches and plays with her vocal cords, eyes closed and feeling her own notes with her hand gestures as keyboardist Hannah Shepherd harmonises perfectly. Between songs she's sweet and casual, snapping everyone out of her spell with comments like, “One more sad one and then we're done with the sad ones.” The band brings some energy into the tent but still keeps that delicate but commanding sound for Boy.

While some may have thought their ears couldn't take any more music, Emma Louise takes out the coloured electric to pluck out 1000 Sundowns. Her gentle vocals, careful plucking and raw lyrics transposed over the electric sound while she head bangs out her tinted bob brilliantly hits spines and tear ducts both audibly and visually. Continuing with her honest style, she brings out “a song about mental illness” which has her voice echoing and transcending over the samples of Atlas Eyes. She gets back on the acoustic and encores with Shepherd to end the show with some more gorgeous harmonisation.