It’s unseasonably warm for October, which is almost a shame. Standing by the fire in the front bar in Whelan’s feels like it would be the prefect pretext for what we’re about to see - autumn feels like the perfect time for folk gigs.
We take our seats up the front and its hard not to notice such a minimal stage set up - just 3 guitars. Rosie’s recordings have some beautiful instrumentation and arrangements, but, as we’ll see, just her and a guitar is so fitting. She’s a shy and timid girl - very endearing - and it feels like a privilege to see her perform in a stripped back and raw manner.
But, before we get to discover this, out of nowhere, Henry Jamison appears on the stage and without a word treats us to 2 gorgeous tunes. There’s a lot of Americanisms in his songs - references to cheerleaders, baseball games and Texas. This makes sense as soon as he does start talking - he is indeed from the states. His songs are very comforting. Lulling almost - something you’d want to listen to while driving at night. His soft voice reaches some beautiful falsettos, and he uses it perfectly with carefully placed emphasis on sounds in certain places - almost onomatopoeic. He plays a solid set and regals the crowd with some quirky monologues in between - almost like speaking those weird inner thoughts you have out loud. If you’re a fan of James Yorkston or Bright Eyes, check out Henry Jamison.
Rosie takes to the stage and picks up her guitar - which is almost as big as her! She opens with 'Better Man’ - a favourite. She moved from England to Donegal a decade ago, and has lived close to the sea since then. The influence of this can be heard not only in this song, but across her repertoire. References to ships, sailing and anchors are peppered throughout her lyrics. And her lyrics…. She’s twenty years old and to be able to write with such insight at that age is astounding. Her songs reflect a maturity that, perhaps, she has gained through lived painful experiences. Rosie has spoken openly about her battle with depression and anxiety, an eating disorder and experiences with sexual assault. Her blog post on the matter is touching, and knowing what she’s been through gives her songs a further punch. After 2 songs, in fact, she jokes that we must be all ‘pumped’. She says she’s going to sing a ‘happy’ song, but ‘Your Moon’ is a heartbreaking piece. “Will you lie down for me, lover? I can't lie to you Oh, your stars are shining but I'll never be your moon”.
Adding to the emotion is her voice. She can hit high notes effortlessly, and does so on the regular. She has a breathy quality, something comparative to Cat Power, Sharon Van Etten, or Hope Sandoval.
She plays us out with ‘Awake Me’, an incredible track in which she shows her vulnerability and deals with her struggles. “And I’ve been a fool, for more than half of my life, I’ve tried to hide’. She’s not hiding anymore, and I, for one, am delighted about this. Talking to people close to her afterwards, I’m told that, despite an apparent nervousness, she has come out of her shell greatly in recent times. No longer shaking on stage. We’re very much looking forward to seeing her progression in the future, if there’s any higher she can go.