London four-piece Indigo Husk, who we first laid eyes on with their impressive support slot for Will Joseph Cook back in September, are an indie band that wear their heart on their sleeves. This is clear from their Green Door Store performance that, it is fair to say, was far from sold out. Nevertheless, the quartet delivered a passionate and thrilling display of indie-meets-garage-rock as if they were playing to hundreds of people.

London singer/songwriter RAFFER opened on the night, to a shameful and measly two people. However, it wasn’t long until people were drawn away from the bar into the main venue and it’s clear to see why. Surprisingly for a relatively new artist, RAFFER sounds incredibly polished; essentially taking on The 1975’s trademark indie-pop sound and melding it into something of his own. It’s easy to see, from songs such as ‘Together’ and ‘Street Light Dancing’, with their retro 80s-style beats, just why RAFFER has been picking up so many plaudits and tips from the likes of BBC Introducing.

Instantly what is clear about Indigo Husk is the vulnerability in their songwriting. “This one’s for anyone who’s ever fallen in love” Joe Hamm uttered, as he introduced 2017 single ‘Waste Of A Year’. Billed as, “A self-help break up song”, it encapsulated the feelings that stem from the break-up of a relationship. There’s a relatability to the band that is key in this early stage, and one of the many reasons they’ve won over so many teenage fans already, and the group are relishing it.

The band’s feelings bleed through, which gives their indie-meets-garage-punk sound a touch of the indie musicality that garnered the likes of Bloc Party and Vampire Weekend so many fans a decade ago. However, there’s a touch of fun about the band too. Joe Hamm (lead singer and guitarist) and Joe Taylor (drums and singer) are the driving force behind this as they dance and frolic around on the stage all night long. Likewise, they have a great chemistry together on the mic and, at one point, they opened a pack of Panini World Cup 2018 stickers they had found and were giving them individually to the crowd. It was a nice touch, and it’s clear to see that there’s a really touching bond between the band and their fans, who were singing the lyrics back to them for the large majority of the night.

“Who’s seen us before?” lead singer Joe Hamm asked the crowd as they reached the end of their set. As it turns out most people in the room had seen them before and, on this display, I’m pretty sure they’ll be with Indigo Husk for a very long time. This certainly felt like a band only months away from their inevitable explosion into the mainstream, and it would be very, very deserved.

Liam McMillen

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