She claims it was only her second ever headline gig, but the vocal confidence and sizeable crowd packed into Upstairs at Whelan's for Lilla Vargen could have fooled me. Vargen's been a bit busy lately, what with touring in support of Dermot Kennedy. But this week, she's taken time for her own headline tour, with a stop last night in Dublin.

As the numerous fans filed into the venue, they were each greeted with a blank postcard. The singer explained once she took the stage that people should write a note and address it to someone they care about. "We'll post it to anyone you want to!" insisted Vargen.

But it wasn't just that gesture that demonstrated her genuineness and approachability. Two thirds of the way through the set, she joked about how many of her songs are about heartbreak. "You're probably thinking 'Oh, how many breakups has she had'?" (a few, in case you were wondering) before continuing into a rendition of 'Love You Twice', which is about – you guessed it – heartbreak.

Despite the repeated themes, Vargen proved her name is worth the buzz with a vocal performance perfected for arenas but a marvel in a room as intimate as Whelan's.

It was a show worth savouring, especially since it could very well be the last time Vargen plays such an intimate venue here in Dublin. After all, she's headed to 3Arena next month for two sold-out nights supporting Dermot Kennedy. In the meantime, Vargen's sophomore EP We Were Thunder is set for release this Friday.

Before closing the night, Vargen sized up the crowd and thanked everybody for coming out to support her. "It's a bit mad, isn't it? It's all a bit mad..."

Check out the full gallery from Vargen's gig here.