Lisa Crawley

By Poppy Tohill

Artist:  Lisa Crawley

Date / Venue:  Sunday October 13th, Leigh Sawmill

One month on from the release of Lisa Crawley's second studio album ‘All In My Head,' the Leigh Sawmillbustled with a friendly and inviting energy as fans awaited the final show of her Australasian album release tour, early Sunday night.

As the friendly and enthusiastic crowd gathered in front of the stage with pizza and drinks in hand, Evan Sinton warmed up the audience with nothing but his Taylor guitar and outstanding voice. Performing a number of songs from his recent EP ‘Phosphenes,' Sinton concluded his set with his newest single, ‘Prisoner's Cinema' which again showcased his exceptional musical talent and unique voice.

As anticipated fans waited, Lisa took to the spotlight minutes later followed by her tight, professional and creative backing band. All swapping instruments numerous times throughout the set adding a touch of ukulele and trumpet to a number of songs, band members Sam Taylor, Sam Edgar and Haddon Smith helped add a nice touch to Lisa's beautiful harmonies and delightful, melodic tunes.

The sound of Lisa's keyboard echoed throughout the room, as she began her set with the enchanting song‘Better Lands,' leaving audience members in awe of her harmonious, empowering voice. The room soon filled with laughs and chatter as Crawley's bright and bubbly persona took to chatting with audience members and explaining the meaning behind a number of songs as she introduced them.

My personal favourite track, ‘Trying Out Tonight' which includes an excellent and might I add very catchy piano riff, proved to be a great dance floor number, encouraging audience members to get to their feet and have a little dance.

Fans were definitely awarded with a fantastic performance that entailed a perfect mixture of both new songs from the ‘All In My Head' album and some old goodies from her debut album ‘Everything That I Have Seen.' Pulling out the tambourine and turning up the volume for her popular singles, ‘What Would I Give,' ‘Elizabeth' and ‘Tide Is Low,' shouts from the dance floor requested an encore as her set drew to an end.

After admitting that the band actually hadn't practised anymore songs, Crawley took to the grand piano, side of stage to treat fans to a stripped back encore consisting of a number of tunes from her EP ‘Hello, Goodbye and Everything In Between.'

All together- a great night, filled with good vibes and fantastic music. If you haven't yet purchased Lisa Crawley's new album or seen her perform live, don't miss out- she's definitely one of New Zealand's female artists to keep an eye out for!