The beautiful Camden Town evening light cast a warm embrace around the wide-eyed crowd assembled outside The Roundhouse, who appeared as though they hadn’t seen the light of day for quite some time.
Perhaps marathon forays into Dungeons and Dragons or Elden Ring have dimmed their eyes, leaving them all blinky out in the real world.
From whatever realm they sprung forth, they are polite and determined, fervent in their passion for the particular brand of emotional nostalgia this evening offers—a blend of past and present teenage melancholy—and they look visibly more relaxed once inside the safe womb of the venue where it is equally as warm but not at all bright; in fact, the lights seem particularly subdued this evening.
1st 3 Magazine first became aware of Hello Mary when we had the immense pleasure of hanging out with NYC singer/songwriter Emily Duff back in July this year. Emily spoke warmly and generously of the girls’ talent in response to our question about which music she was currently excited about.
The music meanders from atonal and uncomfortable to reassuring resolution and back again"
Lighting the fuse for American Soccer, it felt like a significant step to walk onto the vastness of The Roundhouse stage. Guitarist/vocalist Helena Straight, drummer/vocalist Stella Wave, and bassist Mikaela Oppenheimer fearlessly launched into their evocative, intense set with sustained, buzzy bass notes, which developed into their first song, ‘Float.’ They evoked an angel cake: their delicate, slender beauty and feminine attire contrasted excitingly with the grungy, buzzy sound they produced. The impossibly light, ethereal vocals—unsettlingly, unusually, and edgily harmonized in intervals of 4ths—soared gloriously over the top, leaving the audience hungry for more.
There are sections of meandering tonality before we are brutally dragged back into a wall of noise'
There are mid-section shifts, and pace and time signature changes which combine with distorted guitar effects to create a blurry, atonal sound that merges perfectly with a heavy, insistent beat. This song segues seamlessly into the experimental-sounding Hiyeahi – pounding drums threaten to fibrillate those atria while the electro noises and apocalyptic lyrics over repeatedly and oppressively strummed guitars are an insight into something uniquely personal about this band. There’s a sense of discomfort here- anger, yes, but also a sadness and bluntness that is a direct and thrilling juxtaposition to what we are seeing. A jarring synth sound and unexpected crackles transport us to the world of Three, a song awkwardly uneven and blurry yet brought to satisfying aural cohesion by clever, sharp and intricate drumming. This music is hugely atmospheric; dreamlike and cinematic we almost expect a psychedelic film to start or an edgy, bleak Channel 4 documentary…
There are sections of meandering tonality before we are brutally dragged back into a wall of noise- stitched together by more pretty riffs that make sense of each song. The audience are mesmerized by this shoegazy, heavenly chaos and we kept hoping for eye contact, for some kind of connection- for them to realise that we were here, loving it, loving them- but we were left wanting.
The interplay between songs is continuous; sounds no-one expects appear flow and ebb in an esoteric, mesmeric dream sequence.'
The unsettling contrasts between roars of rage and frustration and heavenly harmonies built a titillating intensity- and eventually, Helena says hello and thanks us for being here. A rare smile form Stella illuminates the stage as she acknowledges the crowd’s response, before the powerful soundscape that is Heavy Sleeper continues the set.
These musicians have something to say, something to share and something to convey."
Each intro takes us by surprise; we think it’s going one way and there’s an abrupt pause before the track changes tack and goes in the opposite direction. The interplay between songs is continuous; sounds no-one expects appear flow and ebb in an esoteric, mesmeric dream sequence. The music meanders from atonal and uncomfortable to reassuring resolution and back again in an aesthetic overlapping that leaves us in awe of Hello Mary’s particular and original kind of music-making. These musicians have something to say, something to share and something to convey.
Speaking to Stella briefly as they are packing up, we ask her who the band’s influences are. After a short discussion around the obvious (Radiohead, Nirvana, PJ Harvey…) she tells us, “So many- whatever you’re thinking, you’re probably right.”
HELLO MARY PLAYED THE ROUNDHOUSE, LONDON – 14 SEPTEMBER 2024
SUPPORTING AMERICAN FOOTBALL
