Sarah Kinsley at Heaven

From brat summer, it seems we are now entering a new era. An era of yearning, vulnerability and tenderness, and seeking comfort in the presence (or memory) of your loved ones. Of loving softly and intensely – however you want, and whomever you want. It might have to do with the advent of the cold season, or Sarah Kinsley’s tender and raw performance at Heaven. Either way, it’s an exciting time to be alive and discovering new young artists.

Escaper is Kinsley’s debut album, and this is her third or fourth time playing in London. “It feels like home,” she says to an audience that is completely captivated and ready to fall under her spell. Not a phone in sight. She sways softly, her moves measured but earnest. Her performance marries airy and ethereal melodies with innovative production techniques. Towards the end of the show, Kinsley loosens up more, feeding off her enthusiastic, predominantly youthful audience.

Glint is one of the highlights. “There is no love lost when you stop breathing / I swear I remember everything,” she sings. The song evokes all the conflicting feelings around grief, the blessing and curse of having to carry a loved one’s memory with you wherever you go. The pain that turns into rage that turns into surrender. The prog rock interludes mesh beautifully with the classical elements, tender intimacy co-existing with raw emotion.

For Starling, she takes over the keyboard to sing about love, but not of the romantic kind. “Anyone bring a friend?” she asks, and a girl drags her friend to the dancefloor before the music kicks in, the two of them dissolving into the crowd. It is the perfect prelude for what this song, and whole album, is about: the love found in those bonds that might happen once in a lifetime. The friends who keep you afloat and the miracle of having someone by your side, while “laughing at the fucking stars”.

“How are you feeling?” she then asks. “We’re about to play a pretty depressing song”. The pretty depressing song in question is The Giver, also another highlight. Her vocal delivery moves from a quiet vulnerability to a crescendo of frustration and longing. By the end, it’s hard not to scream with her, like in that famous Midsommar scene. The minimalist guitar combined with layered vocals creates an atmospheric production that amplifies the song’s emotional impact. This meticulous attention to detail also shows Kinsley’s commitment to platforming female voices in music production.

Whilst it is still quite early on in her career for Kinsley to have mastered stagecraft, all the other elements are there. Impressive vocals, a charming stage presence and a real love for storytelling that comes through every lyric. The result? Music brimming with life, for the committed lovers.

Benedetta Mancusi
Photos: Nick Bennett

For further information and future events visit Sarah Kinsley’s website here.

Watch the video for the single Knights here: