Chloe Foy Review – 5th October at Leaf Bold Street

Following her successful debut album released in the summer entitled ‘Where Shall We Begin?’ Chloe Foy has recently embarked on a UK tour and on Tuesday 5th October, she brought her show to Leaf on Bold Street. A well loved venue in the heart of Liverpool, Leaf has boasted some impressive performances over the last few years and this was no exception. 

Over the years, Foy has taken great care in perfecting her craft, creating and releasing music only when she is ready. In this day and age of social media and the pressure to have an almost constant stream of releases as an artist, it is refreshing to see an attitude like this, where your own feelings of pride in your work come first, not any mythical deadline set by social media peers. During her career, Chloe Foy has gathered devoted fans and audiences across the UK and the USA through her ‘brand of melodic, homegrown music bursting with colourful lyrical and textural inflections.’ In recent years she has gone from strength to strength and is now a well established songwriter and performer. 

Loris_&_the_Lion _Leaf_Credit: Billy Vitch

The evening opened with a performance from Loris and the Lion, a Liverpool based alt-folk duo who are known for their haunting performances of songs that capture your heart and your imagination. So softly spoken as they entered the stage, then a cascade of emotion revealed itself to tear at the very fabric of your heart. Their songs are very pure in sound, the combination of acoustic guitar, keyboard, and harmonies create a soothing yet captivating atmosphere in the room.

Loris_&_the_Lion _Leaf_Credit: Billy Vitch

Sadly, the second support act of the evening; Reid Anderson was unable to perform due to illness, we wish him a speedy recovery!

Dressed in a striking pink suit, Chloe Foy wordlessly entered the stage and began her set, her beautiful and evocative voice filled the room and within that first track, had everyone fixated. Her greeting to Liverpool and those in attendance is met with warm smiles and appreciation as she confesses her love for Liverpool and how glad she is to be back performing here, a city for which she has a real soft spot. 

Chloe Foy_Leaf_Credit: Billy Vitch

The rest of her set is simply stunning, her songs are intertwined with little magic moments of interaction with the crowd as she tells the stories behind her songs, including an amusing anecdote of how a group of Irish guys have adopted her track ‘Oh You Are Not Well’ as their official anthem when they are hungover. There is definitely a feeling of magic in the room, Foy is so at ease on stage and when interacting with the crowd, it makes you truly feel part of the occasion. Her songs are so well crafted and are a joy to hear live, the simplistic arrangements allow her voice to shine through as well as her lyrics. I would highly recommend watching her perform live!

Chloe Foy_Leaf_Credit: Billy Vitch

This was a wonderful show from Foy, the idyllic and relaxed setting of Leaf paired with her simply beautiful songs made for a special evening and one which I hope will occur again. 

Helen Maw