DAUGHTER @ The Corner – July 23rd

I won’t hide the excitement I’m feeling before reaching The Corner tonight. A sold out crowd peppered with the recognisable faces of young musicians, we wait expectantly for Little Green Cars to begin their support slot.  Hayden Calnin  I spot you.

This is my introduction to Little Green Cars and I’m mighty impressed, ready to hear them again and again. There is no picking who front the band here. Four stand in a row with Stevie Appleby and Faye O’Rourke taking it in turns to sing the main vocals, flanked by the rest singing intricate harmonies. They’re a young band from Dublin and O’Rourke’s deep, powerful voice is instantly comparable to Hayley Mary ‘s from The Jezabels.

The band collectively produce a heavy, melodic, rock sound with big guitars that pull back at each harmony, lending every piece a softer edge. Their debut album  Absolute Zero   is out now.

Daughter takes to the stage soon after and open with ‘ Still ‘. While recorded their sound is slightly more restrained, live they’re a new kind of force. Though I’ve never seen them live, I’m expecting it. I’ve watched enough clips on YouTube, many before I had listened to anything they had released, to expect what it might be like seeing them on stage. I’m blown away because nothing beats the power of a live performance, even when you’re packed into The Corner with hair in front of you constantly swishing in your face, only able to see the tops of Daughter’s very fine, talented group of heads.

‘Still’ has the same motifs that many of Daughter’s pieces contain – a yearning to be loved back and a restless kind of youth, anchored by a strong sense of self-awareness. They’re feelings that any of us could relate to at some moment, that all of us have felt in one shape or another.

That’s probably my favourite thing about Daughter, their ability to poetically sum up all of the pain and joy, the excitement and disappointment that comes with growing up in a world that’s more free than generations have faced before. I think we experience a unique kind of struggle growing up into young adults today, connected to so much, with the promise of so much more than the traditional boundaries of sex or culture, of what place you happen to live in or how much money you have (well for some of us, some of the time). We’re more global, we have more of an ability to diversify our relationships and open up our minds. Daughter explores the by-products of this. And live they unleash their experiences.

And they each use a different platform to do this. Elena Tonra with her layered, potent vocals and a favouring of emotive bass lines.  Igor Haefeli wields his guitars in innovative methods, sometimes employing a bow to create an atmospheric, electric wall of sound. And  Remi Aguilella ‘s drums harness them all together.

They curate a set list that consists of songs from debut album  If You Leave   and EPs His Young Heart   and  The Wild Youth , so standouts of the night become hard for me to pick. ’ Tomorrow ‘ for its perfect execution of everything I’ve just rambled about. ‘ Love ‘ for anyone that’s ever been haunted by the turbulence of being burned, neglected, left, unloved by another. ‘ Youth ‘ is a favoured single that explores a similar wretchedness and ends leaving those in a loving, healthy relationship feeling grateful. ‘ Home ‘ is the song I’m most looking forward to hearing. It has a ringing urgency to it that Daughter are in the habit of extending in live performances.

Perhaps the standout of the night is something else all together though. Daughter’s interaction with the crowd is what surprises me the most. I’ve seen clips of them where they hardly speak to their audience, where they remain almost entirely introverted. This practice provides a strong juxtaposition to the raw honesty their music expresses. They’re not like this at all though. Humbled by their first Melbourne crowd, they constantly express their thanks, laughing at how much love and energy they’re met with. Tonra is convinced she’s drunk off the gin she’s sipping and we all chuckle and fill with happiness at her adorable giggles.

They preface their last song by saying that “we’re trying something new”. All agreeing that what ever they’re about to do “will definitely go wrong” and that it’s been “nice knowing” us. ‘ Get Lucky ‘ starts and we all typically go wild. It’s THE cover of that Daft Punk song and always will be.

(If you’ve gotten to the end of all that then a very well done to you kind person. Here are appropriate treats for your efforts.)

WORDS BY Stef Italia

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