DIVORCE OFFER A GLIMPSE OF GLORY AT MASTERFUL SOLD-OUT LONDON HEADLINER
The Nottingham alt-folk four piece are set to be one of the Hot Tips for 2024, and their live shows and intelligent songcraft prove why. There’s something in the tonic of this band…
Entrance music fills the packed basement in The Social, London where crowd neighbours confirm to each other that it is, in fact, the Wallace and Gromit theme tune they can hear. In an odd way, this seems fitting for Divorce – recognisable, loveable, and undeniably iconic.
Photo credit: Rosie Sco
Starting with the sincere and understated, Tiger Cohen-Towell and Felix Mackenzie-Barrow greet us with their beautifully blended vocals in ‘Sex on The Millennium Bridge.’ The beauty of this track is how it builds; you feel their emotion in their intonation, something few vocal duos are able to capture.
As Tiger declares, “hello, London”, it’s time to switch things up. ‘Pretty’, the band’s second single (released back in May 2022) bolts out like a starting gun. What the quartet consistently gets right - whether that’s via Kasper Sandstrom’s drumming, Adam Peter-Smith’s guitar playing, or Tiger and Felix’s harmonies - is the emotional intent at the heart of their performance. Here, in the dark venue, you can almost feel the simmering rage bleeding through the sound waves.
Photo credit: Rosie Sco
And hype is spreading far and wide, helped by the adoring fandom of 6 Music’s Steve Lemacq (who, by some accounts, is present tonight). Luckily for him, we’re treated to more than a few new tracks, which feels like being let in on a secret - a secret that we slightly want to keep to ourselves.
Paring it back again, ‘That Hill’ - from the 2022 EP Get Mean - is a real tear-jerker – and welcoming Adam into the vocal fold only adds to its gravitas. Changing the track from the recorded version to something raw and acoustic shows how much Divorce have evolved over the past year and a half; they are tight, slick, idea-heavy, and instinctive in how they create and perform.
For fan favourite ‘Scratch Your Metal’, Tiger really brings their music video-inspired dance moves - sexy, sleek and feel good. The groove is contagious; even a Wednesday London crowd gets going (as well as the three Nottingham natives in the corner, who fight the urge not to scream “you Reds” whenever Felix mentions their beloved hometown).
Photo credit: Rosie Sco
The night ends like all good nights should - with a singalong. Stating that “we’re not a country band, but we do like country music”, Divorce closes with the bittersweet ‘Checking Out’, the crowd unite in both their chorus and their admiration.
With 2024 around the corner, Divorce undoubtedly has big things ahead. Freshly signed to EMI imprint Gravity Records and with two EPs under their belt, it doesn’t seem like it’ll be long before a triumphant debut album graces our ears and souls.