✧E-Chat✧✉: Night Tapes
31 January 2024
For people who have never heard of Etta Marcus, you better get to know, as she is one of the newest writers and musicians leading the way within the soft indie genre. Her sweet and seemingly shy persona, along with her voice and songwriting style admirably nods to artists such as Lana Del Ray, Phoebe Bridgers and Ethal Cain. At only 22 years old, the South Londoner’s success with her collection of EPs prompted the creation of her debut album, ‘The Death of Summer and Other Promises’ which I was lucky enough to witness.
The venue of The Wardrobe was a fabulous choice for closing the show, as it offered people the chance to have personal interactions with Etta and her band in between performances, and for her to really see the crowd interacting and getting lost in the lyricism of her songs
Opening with ‘Snowflake Suzie’, one of her newer songs from the album, this was the introduction to her cutting and emotive songwriting style, which set the tone for her entire performance. Followed by songs such as ‘Theatre’, ‘Hide & Seek’ and her standout EP ‘Salt Lake City’, the crowd were in awe with the purity and clarity of her voice, paired with the skilled musicality of her bandmates.
Throughout songs such as ‘Little Wing’, ‘Crown’ and her well-known single ‘Girls That Play’, Marcus’s audience were giving as much as they were getting, as people danced along and sang their hearts out with great enthusiasm. However, the show took a dramatic turn when the band exited the stage, leaving Marcus stood alone. Here she referred to a time when she didn’t have her band and had to perform alone, and how certain songs just resonated with that time and the loneliness she felt. It was here that she then sang ‘Fruit Flies’ pays homage to the song ‘Strange Fruit’ by the legendary Jeff Buckley, where she played it in a very similar style. In that moment, it felt like the world stood still, as Marcus beautifully relayed the lyrics in her own personal way, making the song completely her own whilst accompanying the lyrics with her guitar. A key moment for me was the final few lines of the song, which she played completely acapella. This drew an intense focus onto her voice which was beautifully raw and heartbreaking, with her reciting the words “how beautiful to see, I’m where I want to be’
This wasn’t her only time referencing her idols, as she announced to the crowd that there would be a few ‘special surprises’, which included her ending the song ‘Skin Parade’ with her cover of ‘Fade into You’ by Mazzy Star, an artist who she credits her songwriting ability to.
Her quirky and funny comments in between each song just made you fall in love with the artist that she is and upon leaving the venue, I felt like I’d really experienced something magical. Closing the show, she thanked the Leeds crowd for showing up and expressed her love for the city, having previously played at Hyde Park Book Club in 2023. I hope to see Etta Marcus grow her following as she deserves and excitedly anticipate her return to Leeds, hopefully playing a bigger venue.
