Ainslie Wills kind of sounds like what you’d imagine Judy Davis in Barton Fink to sound like if that character sang. She even looks a little like Davis too, although a more youthful version. Her voice is masculine in its delivery but not its tone and it’s quite incredible. Wills began the set solo with her Epiphone Les Paul, quietly and slowly tchocking muted chords out across the bandroom. It was almost more percussive than melodic but provided the perfect backing to her voice, the strength of which is not thick so much as rich, and carving. Wills followed this intro with deep, beautiful washes of guitar that sounded like you were two leagues under the sea and the chords we coming to you through the hull of a boat sitting on the surface.
Her four-piece band then joined the stage including fellow VCA graduate and guitarist Lawrence Folvig. Wilis’ unique microphone manner became apparent pretty quickly and it’s difficult to think of anyone I’ve seen lately who’s more comfortable in front of the thing; it’s like she didn’t learn to be comfortable with performance, it is just a natural focus and connection. She displayed that very Kate Bush or Tori Amos-like ability to hold a note to nearly a whisper or a cry, but with the pitch still perfectly held, and the timbre was complemented by Willis’ female back-up singer (who was also dexterously playing a Nord synth).
The set featured a duet with Timmy Spendour, a fellow alumnus of The Seed (“It sounds a bit salubrious”, said Spendour) music workshop, held in the Blue Mountains. Performing the Terence Trent D’Arby classic Sign Your Name, the effect was marred slightly by Spendour reading the lyrics from a card, but Willis’ more than made up for this by delivering the lines as if she was having a spontaneous conversation with a lover.
The wonderful sounds of Fighting Kind, leading single from Wills’ debut LP You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine tumbled forth towards the end of the show and here the drums showed how creepingly integral they are to Wills’ tracks, despite never being the star instrument. Great falling, half clanging harmonies and waterfalls of guitar and keys rolled over the dedicated audience, and the slightly syncopated beats made the fans up front who had a moment before been dancing like gently swaying dandelions, turn into hopped-up jellyfish. It was a fabulous show and I can’t wait to see more from this lady.
BY ZOË RADAS
LOVED: Wills kicking her shoes off half-way in, even though the wedge was only as big as a piece of Laughing Cow.
HATED: The annoying depth versus width ratio of the Toff stage, which hides performers from view unless you’re bang in the middle of the floor.
DRANK: Voddy soda.
