I’m not sure whether New York loves Hatchie (aka Harriette Pilbeam) more or vice versa. Last night was her ninth time playing NYC in the last 2 yrs! This time as a headliner, Hatchie is touring in support of her debut LP “Keepsake” and kicked off the US leg of the tour with a stop at Rough Trade in Brooklyn. I seem to have a soft spot for Australian musicians and this Melbourne based singer/songwriter is no exception. While it may be easy to categorize her into “sad girl” music (just based on the lyrics), her pop rock aesthetic makes songs very fun. Yes; with small variations in the arrangement, she could have been more melancholy like Sarah McLachlan if she went softer or more angry like Alanis Morissette if she went harder. For me, the melodies got me interested and the lyrics pulled me in deep.
LA based Orchin opened the show by playing a rocking but subdued (not sure if that makes sense) set. Is that what it means to be dream pop? I don’t know but I thoroughly enjoyed their version. Lead vocalist Jeremy McLennan grew up in Australia and also happens to play lead guitar for Hatchie!
For her first headlining show, Hatchie pretty much played every song in her discography much to the delight of her fans. It was funny to see everyone bopping along to some songs with sad lyrics. At one point, a small group in the middle were jumping and dancing so hard that it looked like a mini mosh pit!!
If you’re in the US but not in NYC, chances are you haven’t seen her live yet. Definitely catch her if she’s coming to your area. Tour dates can be found at her website.
NOTE: all photographs are copyright of Howard Shiau Photography