The time has come once again for the annual barrage of Splendour in the Grass sideshows to hit the city of Sydney, and things have kicked off at the Metro Theatre with a sold out appearance from Iceland’s latest export Ásgeir, supported by Brisbane’s Airling – who will also be appearing at Splendour this weekend thanks to winning a spot via Triple j Unearthed.
Airling – the moniker of Brisbane musician Hannah Shepherd – has gone from strength to strength this year, performing at the Sydney Opera House with James Vincent McMorrow, supporting Australia’s own rising stars The Paper Kites and enjoying production from Big Scary’s Tom Iansek with her debut track “Ouroboros”. Supported tonight by two backing instrumentalists on the drums, keys and guitar, Hannah jumps effortlessly between two keys of her own – as she adds effects to her ethereal vocals, which garner comparisons to the likes of Imogen Heap.
In addition to her two singles – the mentioned “Ouroboros” and her latest track “The Runner”, which closed the set – a particular highlight was “Bloodshot”, which saw Shepherd’s drummer interweave his drum kit with electronic effects, a feature which was common throughout the performance. She also previewed tracks off her forthcoming EP such as “Where You Are”, another highlight of the night, which was heavy on the vocal effects and built nicely, helping ensure her debut release is one to look forward to. Airling is proving herself to be one of Australia’s finest emerging talents – definitely keep your eyes and ears out for whatever comes next.
It’s also worth mentioning that Airling, with a sold out show at her feet, maintained an impressive crowd by any means – let alone on a Wednesday night. Sydney came out early to support the electronic/indie/pop songwriter. But it was, naturally, Ásgeir they had come to see, and he and his four bandmates received a rousing reception when they hit the stage in their second Splendour sideshow. But not before they teased the crowd, hiding themselves off to the side of stage to sing, sans instrumentation with beautiful harmonies, their own walk-on music. Now that’s classy.
These harmonies continued throughout the set – usually with one other member, sometimes with two, such as in “Was There Nothing” – as Ásgeir paraded through tracks off his debut English record In The Silence, alongside some of his new and original Icelandic compositions, like “Nú Hann Blæs”, a B-Side to “Torrent” and a track that I swore was a cover of “Pyramid Song” by Radiohead at first. Musically, his compositions range from cinematic (think “Outro” by M83) to folk simplicity (think Band of Horses) – sometimes within the same track. And though there ae four other members on stage, all eyes are on Ásgeir as he jumps between guitars, keys and effects at the front of the stage.
With the English translation of his music done in collaboration with John Grant, there is a sense that Ásgeir doesn’t feel as connected to his English language versions as he does his originals, and honestly I felt the show was at its strongest when he went into his native tongue. There’s something so musical about the Icelandic language that makes it a pleasure to listen to, especially when accompanied by such incredible compositions. An exception to this, however, is Ásgeir’s now famous cover of Nirvana’s “Heart Shaped-Box” – a version which Ásgeir has made his own, serving not only to pay tribute to the classic track but also reminding us all of how incredible a lyricist Kurt Cobain really was. In the midst of legend and hyperbole – along with the fuzz of his own guitar – it’s easy to forget.
But for the crowd, it was his English language singles that drew the most adoration. “King and Cross”, which closed the main set, had the crowd dancing – even jumping on each other’s shoulders. “Higher”, another popular track brought with it some loud cheers, as did “Going Home” and “Torrent” – and I was a personal fan of “Summer Guest”.
It’s been a long cycle for Ásgeir’s debut record; released first in Icelandic and then in English. As his sets mix the two languages together, it feels certain that he’ll be mixing the two together on record from here on out. Not in a Sigur Ros “Hopelandic” sense, but composing the tracks in English when it feels right, and Icelandic otherwise. I for one think his best work is yet to come, and given how impressive the reception has been on In The Silence, that’s saying something. And in the meantime, Ásgeir has amassed a set which fails to disappoint. In all honesty, it amazes.
