Wallace ProfileLocal Sydney seven-piece New Venusians glided onto the stage shortly after 10pm, to a venue that had already filled close to capacity in eager anticipation of the night. They performed a twangy, soulful track, creating a unique, genre-melding sound, almost reminiscent of early Hiatus Kaiyote. Vocalists Meklit Kibret and Christian Hemara complement one another's voices superbly; hers slightly husky and drenched in soul, paired with his dreamy, Usher-like falsetto. Wholly deserving of a larger stage and audience.
Wellington-born singer Wallace ran up on stage shortly after, extravagantly dressed in a striped tee underneath a handmade bright pink, sequined pinafore and silver tin-like heels resembling knight's armour. With a three-piece band behind her she immediately set the stage alight with spark and charisma, beaming from ear to ear introducing her next track "This is about how windy Wellington is... and how much I love it," with Negroni Eyes a clear crowd favourite. Wallace has a knack for making the crowd feel at ease while she performs, stating "This song is about Peter Pan and about how I never want to grow up," with a laugh before breaking into verse again with Is It You (produced by Dutch duo Kraak & Smaak).
Her sound is almost impossibly difficult to define, but seems to fall somewhere in between future soul, jazz and hip hop. For the majority of the night, every person in the crowd seemed a little lost for words, while she so easily transitioned between each song. Wallace introduced one of her last tracks; her newest single Raffled Roses, as a song she wrote for a friend who has made her a different flower for every song she has released. Dynamic, playful and effortlessly charming, Wallace's uber-husky voice has no doubt become one to look out for this year.
