Lissie at Koko

Alone on the stage with her guitar, a glass of red and only one accompanying musician, Lissie bares all with a stripped-back acoustic set for the London leg of her UK tour. Following the release of the third full-length album, My Wild West, the set includes new tracks as well as older favourites and unique covers.

It’s immediately refreshing to see a gig focused purely on music; free from gimmicks, a flashy set design and distracting outfits – which is particularly poignant when the artist is a young woman who hasn’t succumbed to the pressures of having to dress like a sex symbol. All eyes are on her voice and the immense vocal energy and versatility with which she sings. Song after song she moves flawlessly between low, husky verses and beltingly high choruses, never missing a note and taking the audience’s breath away whilst never seeming to lose her own.

The stripped-down feel of Lissie’s UK tour mirrors her recently released Live at Union Chapel album recorded last year. Both feature raw acoustic tracks, including a moving cover of Joni Mitchell’s River and Lissie’s own Everywhere I Go – a tear-jerker which sends shivers through the audience. The singer also chats openly about the inspiration behind My Wild West, explaining how she decided to leave her life in Los Angeles to return to rural family life in the Midwest. The songs that she performs from this album, such as Don’t You Give Up on Me are heartfelt and effectively express the emotions surrounding an important transitional period of her life. Speaking about her charity work Lissie goes on to introduce Daughters, a song that lyrically projects her wider concerns and is played with sincere passion. The show finishes with a performance of In Sleep, featuring a stunning guitar solo by Nick Tesoriero who takes over the stage for the last few minutes to rapturous applause.

Lissie continues to tour the UK until the 14^th December and shouldn’t be missed for an evening of pure and simple musical bliss.

Michelle Keepence

For further information about Lissie and future events visit here.

Watch the video for Wild West here: