British singer-songwriter Holly Humberstone made her Boston headlining debut at Paradise Rock Club on Friday night, to a sold-out crowd eager to immerse themselves in the artist’s beautifully melodramatic world. Touring in support of her debut album Paint My Bedroom Black, which was released this past October to widespread praise, the singer has cultivated a devoted following both across the pond and on American soil.
2022 was a big year for the budding artist, as she emerged from the grips of the pandemic to win the prestigious BRIT Rising Star award (which has notably been won by the likes of Adele, Florence + the Machine and Sam Smith) and then hit the road with bedroom-pop sirens Olivia Rodrigo and Girl in Red. Having busted out from the gates swinging, her rapid stardom and creative accomplishments have yet to slow down.
At only 24, Humberstone has impressed audiences with her matured sound, rooted in intimate lyricism and dynamic indie pop production. After 2022’s Can You Afford To Lose Me?, her latest project expands on the sold foundations she built, while exploring intimate themes of personal plights and coming-of-age encounters.
Singer-songwriter Carol Ades opened up the show with an intimate and entertaining set that could have doubled as a standup comedy set. Her confident stage presence asserted her as an up-and-coming artist worth remembering while her blend of indie folk and pop stylings chronicled her inspiring queer story. Also of note, her affinity for English culture, highlighted in the amusing track “I Can’t Wait to Be British,” made her the perfect guest on Humberstone’s tour.
Taking the stage with titular opener “Paint My Bedroom Black,” the soaring bedroom-pop track instantly immersed fans in a world of Humberstone’s making, unfolding like the opening chapter of her story. While personal and uniquely hers, Humberstone’s music transcends into the lives of all who listen. Showcasing her growth through the sonic tapestry of a dark and otherworldly space, she has emerged in a lucid and visceral atmosphere, capturing moments that are both vulnerable and brutally revealing. For matters so intimate, her portrayal reads as genuine and encompassing; both adjectives in which she professes in her live performance.
“Into Your Room” painted the perfect pop canvas, where the mx of lush live instrumentation and pop production blended to create a Dirty Hit-influenced soundscape — Matty Healy, of The 1975 fame, has even leant his pen on tracks “Sleep Tight” and “Please Don’t Leave Just Yet.” Accompanied by two guitarists and a drummer, Humberstone also wielded her own instrument in which she strummed effortlessly while sustaining flawless vocals. With only four people, the band filled up a large space of dynamic sound, constructed out of layered and pulsing productions of synthetic sounds, rich drum beats and many electric guitar solos.
On studio cuts, Humberstone’s material typically translates best to a quiet, subdued environment, helmed by an artist whose foundations stemmed from solitude and laptop-generated offerings while the world was shut down. Her whispery vocals teeter on Phoebe Bridgers-styled musings, yet her live performance was anything but. Instead, with the backing of a rocking live band and an enamored audience, Humberstone gave an empowered and energetic performance that was as much a surprise as the notes she can reach.
Early into the set, she topped herself one song after the next, as the painfully revealing “Walls Are Way Too Thin” simmered in emotional churning and the swell of its impassioned chorus. It is on this track that the rasp of Humberstone’s voice first made its appearance — a characteristic that is often missing from her records, but added raw emotion to her live sound, allowing it to shine and soar in ways often unheard in the noise of her production.
“Kissing In Swimming Pools,” which she noted as one of her favorites, erupted in an anthemic display of impassioned longing. Drenched in cliches and teenage-fantasies, she flips such platitudes on their head in an empowering manifesto of spoken desire. Fueling the fire, the crowd knew all the words, reverently singing along in a chorus that echoed through the tight confines of Paradise.
On the swinging “Cocoon” and peppy “Down Swinging” — and later, “Scarlet”— her approach, as words flew quickly from her, felt like a diary confessional in a purgative release of emotion. Airing out secret desires or one’s own bad habits has never sounded so beautiful. Rather than bottling it up, she emphasizes the power of exorcising those demons.
“Dive,” a track she rediscovered with old songs that had been archived in her notes app, settled into a 90s grunge slow burn, while “Deep End” swam up to the surface in a poetic ballad of emotional reverence that demonstrated how Humberstone’s revelational storytelling is truly at the heart of her craft.
“This was the first song I ever released and a favorite song to play,” she said of the track released in early 2020. “I never expected anything to come of it really, so this is so sick I get to play it in Boston. I can’t believe there’s so many of you here. This will never feel real,” she gushed.
Releasing her latest collaborations project, Humberstone is sharing her craft with artists who share in the same artist divulgence. In a surprise for Boston fans, local folk-pop trio Tiny Habits joined on stage to lend their soft, gorgeous harmonies on the damning “Antichrist.”
“Elvis Impersonators,” a special track she described to the audience as an ode to her sister who moved to Japan, was followed by some of the night’s best moments. “Ghost Me” gave closure to the set in a sweeping rush of emotion and boot-stomping instrumentation. If it weren’t yet clear from earlier numbers, this solidified the artist as a true voice of the lovesick and the yearning. Humberstone makes music that could easily fit into any Rom-Com — allowing fans to romanticize their lives through the tales of her catalogue.
After exiting the stage, the details of Humberstone’s production did not cease to carry on her narration. Voice notes filled the air, uttering lines incomprehensible amongst the screams of fans demanding more. Without wait, Humberstone returned to the stage solo, for a stripped back rendition of “Friendly Fire.” Midway, her band returned to join in as the track built into a climaxing peak, though without taking away the power and ferocity she maintained on her own.
The ultra-catchy “Scarlet” closed out the show, as grins plastered faces all around. Thanking the crowd for the umpteenth time, Humberstone declared, “This is really magical to me. Thank you so much for being here. This has been sick.”
It is Humberstone’s genuine appreciation and deep relatability that asserts her as a spectacle on stage. Her live performance takes all the best elements of her music and amplifies them, as she comes alive under the light (despite the dark hues of her aesthetic). With such raw lyricism and an emotional clarity that awakens in the cadence of her work, Holly Humberstone is an artist completely in tune with her craft and willing to bear it all.
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PHOTO GALLERY BY: Maria Jose Torre
