There’s not many gigs where you find yourself sitting in cinema seats and with the own artists brand of tea in hand, then again, Lucy Rose is a different cut of jib altogether. Tonight, headlining Rio Cinema, Dalston, on the day Lucy’s latest (impressive 3rd) record: ‘Something’s Changing’ made BBC 6Music’s Record Of The Day, we were treated to an evening of heart-warming stories and songs, accompanied by a showreel of her South American documentary. The endearing footage comes back full circle to her latest record which was shaped by these life changing experiences of living in the homes of her South American fanbase and performing at gigs booked on their behalf. The journey moved her to feel challenged by a surge of emotions incomparable to any other life experiences, bringing to light the desire to want to continue music. Music has been a challenge as of late, Lucy share with us tonight, and how it “has been a huge beacon of hope that labels like Communion exist”.
Between songs Lucy allows everyone to feel at home, it’s her openness in confessing to occasional nervousness (“I tend to worry a lot”) almost welling up at certain song intro’s, and making jokes about her husband’s upcoming tambourine moment that “when practicing in the living room last night he wouldn’t stop moaning: ‘I don’t want to do it’,” made tonight a special footing for artist and audience alike. Lucy’s humility, sensitivity and quiet confidence rang true to our nodding and grinning faces, and it proved hard to ignore the warmth of familiarity that brought me back to Stornoway and their likeminded fanbase.
“This next song is called ‘Moirai’, named after the Greek Goddess of fate. The older I get I realise that it isn’t fate, it just isn’t fair”. The emotions are palpable as peoples stories and songs alike unravel, and it’s only having seen her documentary and when we hear these experiences tonight, that the latest material becomes unlocked. Track: “I Can’t Change It All’ is a testament to this: “…I couldn’t believe his story, his life. We took him on a train. Little things…I remember him saying how this was the best day of his life. I thought about saving up to help him but thought it was a bit weird. So I decided to write him a song. He was obsessed with London too, so we invited him to stay with us. I’ll never forget receiving this call from customs, explaining how they had a boy who was convinced he was living with a singer who he booked a gig for back home in Paraguay and that she had invited him to live with them for 2 weeks”.
Lucy delivers humour with a poignancy; laughable moments are simultaneously pensive. Track: ‘Second Chance’ was written in light of her Aunt-in-Law’s line of thought: “Christmas, reminiscing over photos she said to me ‘I would never have thought that was a nice photo, yet as an old woman I can say that’ – that really stuck with me”. We complete the omission, and by the gig’s finale with old favourite ‘Shiver’, we walk away more self-assured and with a renewed sense of carpe diem.
Something’s Changing was released 07/07/17 via Communion Records.
Spiral Magazine 