Live Report: Lemoncello are ethereal at The Sugar Club

Lemoncello took to the stage of The Sugar Club in Dublin on Thursday night to perform to an awestruck crowd of fans.

The pair, consisting of Claire Kinsella and Laura Quirke, have been making waves lately, having signed to Claddagh Records and released their self titled debut album in May.

I didn't realise the gap that had been present in the Irish music scene until Lemoncello came and filled it with their beautiful vocal harmonies, deep cello accompaniments and their Adrianne Lenker style guitar passages. Lemoncello are at their strongest, most developed to date, and this show was the ultimate reflection of that.

Claire Kinsella of Lemoncello - credits Maya Solanki

Walking into the venue, you could hear a pin drop during opener Stevie Appleby's performance. A former member of the band Little Green Cars, Stevie’s personal lyrics could draw comparisons to those of Elliott Smith, as his soft chatter between songs gave us some context on the subject matter. Lemoncello later revealed how monumental it is to have Stevie supporting, as they were fans of his previous band, admitting to “stalking their social media making sure they were at every secret gig”.

Lemoncello at The Sugar Club credits - Maya Solanki

Having originally opened in the '60s, The Sugar Club proved to be the ideal venue for the band, who blended right in with their timeless look and sound. The place was packed, the maroon velour couches all taken up, with people resorting to sitting on laps and lining the stairways.

Lemoncello took to the stage, their faces illuminated by a warm yellow spotlight which captured them from above. With Laura draped in black velvet and Claire in a mesh top with frills, they were a vision. Their connection and warmth radiated immediately, sharing excited glances and smiles as they settled at their posts.

The outfit have always taken a stripped back approach, accompanying their harmonious sean-nós influenced vocals with a straightforward set up. Claire walked across the stage to sit at her cello, controlling pedals which added reverbs and echoes throughout their performance. Their second song ‘Always Neighbours’, introduced soft backbeats from drummer Lorcan Byrne, as the singers' voices blended like butter and sugar, their Carlow and Donegal accents highlighted their folk sound.

Claire Kinsella of Lemoncello - credits Maya Solanki

The duo played their track ‘Morning’ which was first released in 2017, after they started performing together while in Maynooth University. Laura introduced the song jokingly, “this one hopefully will bring us all down a bit, we like that”, poking fun at the fact that their setlist mainly consist of melancholic, emotional numbers.

We were treated to some new songs halfway through, with the band disclaiming that “you probably didn't come here expecting that, but that's what you are going to get.” The crowd was all the happier for it.

One of the new tracks detailed Laura's experience of attempting to go on a solo trip for a week, during which she only lasted three days by herself,  a story which was met with rapturous laughter.

Laura Quirke of Lemoncello credits - Maya Solanki

The duo’s hit song ‘Masterpiece’ (which boasts nearly 2 million streams on Spotify) showcased Claire's cello skills, with plucked passages taking the reins on the tune's wavering tempo.

Lemoncello covered classic song ‘Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood’, the girls admitted that they know Nina Simone produced the ultimate version and upon accepting that, they can play it as many times as they want. The duo transformed a jazz number into a folk tune, stripping it back and allowing the lyrics come to the forefront.

A stand out performance of the night came when Laura dropped her guitar for the first time, and sauntered around the stage with some Mitski-esque choreography. Performing an unreleased track, the lyrics were projected on the back wall in red writing, “Dorothy, what are you doing? You’re not in Dublin anymore.”

As the evening came to a close, they teased us with an encore, heading offstage for a mere minute before bounding back. Their track ‘Old Friend’ invited us to sing together for the first time in the intimate venue, our voices projecting to the stage and met with soft smiles from the duo.

Lemoncello finished their set with ‘Harsh Truths’, which opened with spoken word lyrics and a comparatively faster tempo in relation to the rest of the set. The song encapsulated what the performers are all about: beautiful storytelling, skilful finger picked guitar, deep cello bass lines and harmonious melodies. Escorted by a standing ovation, there is no doubt Lemoncello made fans for life on Thursday evening.