An Evening with Emilia Quinn: A Fusion of Power and Passion!"
"The 3rd night of my trip up north, and it was a gig at Thornton Hough to see Emilia Quinn supported by Leanne Brumfitt. It was a lovely venue, a tad out of the way for anyone coming by public transport. First up was Leanne, who was a new artist that I finally got to see live. I had been well aware of her thanks to Will, who told me to check her out. She played the songs that she had released and then a few that were unreleased. She has an excellent and powerful voice with a great range. I'm really looking forward to more music from her and seeing her live in London at the Bedford.
Now on to the main show with Emilia Quinn. As many of you know, I've been following Emilia for a number of years since we properly connected during the pandemic. Prior to that, I had only caught her live with Katy Hurt at a show in London. She is also one of the only artists that I have reviewed almost every single release of. Her highly anticipated debut album Wonder Lust & Breaking Rules is due out in November.
First up, it was "On the Run" - the grit and growl in this song that we know and love from Emilia.
Second, we had "Games," the fast-paced track released with Finola.
Third, we had "River" - an amazing intro. This track is even better live; she brings out all the stage presence, leading with powerful vocal runs to start, and the energy is high.
Up next, it was a quick switch over to the white Gretsch. After a quick glance over at Tammy from me and three notes to make sure it's in tune, we instantly know what song it's going to be - "Daddy's Girl." It's a short and brief mention that this song is for me, and she knows how much I love it. I heard it first during a writers' round, I think hosted during that period. She mentioned that if you listen to the lyrics, it contains the words "wanderlust" and "breaking rules," which is also the title of her debut album.
Next up were a few requests from her social media, including "Head Rush" from the "Medicated" EP.
Video to be posted later in the year once the album is out
Following that, she performed "In My Boots," starting with a long vocal intro and asking the crowd to provide a stomp and a clap, which ran through the whole song. This track has a similar presence to "River," giving that really room-filling sound. About a minute in, the guitar comes in with steady strumming, and her trademark building vocal run gets higher and more intense before going full-on with the guitar, featuring even more outstanding vocal runs and little breakdowns before it's back down to the bare bones of her vocals and a mighty run. This was the first time she had tried that, she mentioned, and it worked really well.
Next, she performed "Drunk" - a little story of how this song was written late at night after a work shift. Throughout the story, Tammy, her wife, is shouting three chords and lie. She hasn't played it in a while, so it's no holds barred if she forgets the lyrics. A shout from Tammy, and she'll know the words, and she said, "I'm sure there are a few people that would say that's not what she sings on the CD."
"Worse Than Whisky" came next, and at a moment during the song, she paused to say, "You're going to make me cry" as the crowd was singing the lyrics "worse than whisky." The singing got louder with each moment.
Next up was "Outlaw," and she playfully mentioned that if you don't sing along to this track, she'll be offended - whether you know it or not. And indeed, the crowd was loud.
Then, she performed "Mistakes," a classic from 2020,
Video to be posted later in the year once the album is out
"Mr. Shame," a forthcoming track from her debut album. It's hard-hitting, with strumming and some "ooo, I want to know your name" runs and that trademark growl at the end of vocal runs - what a track!
There was a quick switch over to the piano, and it was time for "Child" - a hard-hitting track with that powerful commanding presence live.
Video to be posted later in the year once the album is out
Next up on the piano was a brand new track, "Mountains." This one came with a disclaimer that it's not her fault if you cry. It was written during a troubling time in her life, and you can hear the emotion coming out through the chord progression and vocal runs at poignant moments. Just outstanding! There was no mention of this one being on the album, but I really hope it is.
Moving back to the guitar, she played a cover song, "Cover Me Up," with real meaning. It's the song she walked down the aisle to with Tammy. Her partner offered to show us how they did it in a joking fashion, and straight at the start, Tammy is waltzing across the front of the stage - you can check it as she pops into my camera shot.
Video to be posted later in the year once the album is out
"Anywhere with You" came next, a song for the 28th wedding anniversary that someone had been celebrating.
Next, it was time for the power anthem, "Girl Talk," and she was joined back on stage by the support, Leanne Brumfitt.
Video to be posted later in the year once the album is out
Next, "Let It Burn" - another brand new song to me, a slightly slower-paced track with more short and direct runs. It's always building throughout, and she had this track perfectly laid out by the end.
"Nothing to Lose" came next, the intro strumming and who cheers and "yea ha" loud singing on this one, as 80% of the crowd know this song, especially the left-hand side.
“Magpie” the raw gritty number with power vocals.
The final track, or is it? At the end of this, the crowd was cheering loud for one more song. She looked a tad overwhelmed by the response.
"One more song, it is!" And it's "Backroads" - back to the piano for the last song, but no mention of what the song is. There was a mighty loud "yes" from Will. It's a slowed-down, powerful number.
What a 90-minute performance, and all-most originals she played! She mentioned that it's the longest one she has ever done, and it was just outstanding. There's a reason why I've been following her around for so long; she is just something else. She has the stage presence with or without a band, and she's one of the few artists whose new song I can instantly know the lyrics to. The vocal range that she has, combined with her epic vocal runs, guitar, and piano skills, it's humbling. I still don't think she knows how good she is as an artist and songwriter. The growth she is achieving is remarkable.
The room was packed to see her, and there are very few who would even consider traveling 4 hours for just one gig (okay, it was combined with another). Currently, she's my most-watched artist this year, which I reckon will be in double figures by the end of the year. Myself and a few others believe in her talents that much there we are following her on tour in November ahead of her highly anticipated debut album release 17th November 2023! There's no doubt it will be outstanding!
1. On The Run | 2. Games | 3. River | 4. Daddy's Girl | 5. Head Rush | 6. In My Boots | 7. Drunk | 8. Worse Than Whiskey | 9. Outlaw | 10. Mistakes | 11. Mr. Shame | 12. Child | 13. Mountains | 14. Cover Me Up (Cover) | 15. Anywhere With You | 16. Girl Talk | 17. Let It Burn | 18. Nothing To Lose | 19. Magpie | 20. Backroads
Tour Dates November 2023:
London, The Slaughtered Lamb - Nov 14 (TUE)
2. Hare & Hounds 2 , Birmingham - Nov 13 (WED)
3. Manchester, Gullivers - Nov 16 (THU)
4. Glasgow, Audio - Nov 17 (FRI)
5. Leeds, Hyde Park Book Club - Nov 18 (SAT)
Tickets on sale now via emiliaquinn.com! Secure your spot for an unforgettable musical experience. Don't miss out!
