Live Review: Hayden Calnin w/ Asha Jefferies & Phoncurves @ The Milk Factory

Brisbane was feeling the chill on Saturday night, but Melbourne man Hayden Calnin wasn’t about to let the weather get in the way of a great show. With not one but two new albums in tow, he had plenty of fresh electro-folk material to show off – the only challenge was deciding what to play.

Seventeen-year-old Asha Jeffries looked her age in a very modest yellow dress, but as soon as she opened her mouth, any pretence of youthful inexperience fell away. Her beautifully smooth drawl and controlled vibrato carried the performance with ease, allowing her to stand motionless and close her eyes as she sang. Evidently surprised, the intimate crowd sat silent and wide-eyed, not so much hearing as feeling the performance as her voice washed over the room. Jeffries’ latest release Honey, Save Me From My Falsehoods was a set highlight, filled with emphatic instrumentation and impossibly pure, tender vocals. Her impressive range was like paint on a delicate lyrical canvas, lined with emotional expression well beyond the grasp of your average teenager.

Slowed down and littered with moments of tantalising silence, the song left plenty of room for emotion, and Calnin filled the space with a proud, passionate vocal performance.

Electronic duo Phoncurves were up next, one casually sporting a University of Colorado hoodie and the other a denim jacket. From the moment their set began, both were completely absorbed in the sounds coming from the synthesiser, focussing on blending their angelic vocals with the deep, gravelly production. The easy flow of their tunes was reflected in their relaxed stage presence and the natural chemistry between them, each song peppered with touches of harmony. A stronger acoustic instrumental inclination beneath emotive vocals and lyrics made Steady the most memorable number of the set. Stripping away the electronic base and heavy beat left the girls’ harmonies in the spotlight, providing them with the opportunity to showcase depth beyond their production skills.

Hayden Calnin looked at home as he stepped up to the microphone, giving off the naturally casual air of someone who spends a significant portion of their time standing on a stage. Dressed mostly in black, he had the brooding archetype down to a fine art, but it was as if he removed a protective shell as he admitted to feeling nervous and “sucking at stage presence”.

During the first track It’s Overcrowded Here, it became clear just how much a live setting and full artistic control can do for a piece of music. Slowed down and littered with moments of tantalising silence, the song left plenty of room for emotion, and Calnin filled the space with a proud, passionate vocal performance. He left hairs standing on end, baring his soul through minimalistic instrumentation in a style similar to Matt Corby, before transforming the second half of the song with modern production and a rhythmic beat.

Throughout the show, the energetic looped melody in Ultrabeast was as close as Calnin came to mainstream pop, boosted with another dose of passionate vocals.

Calnin’s performance was a blend of emotive vocals, selective instrumentation, and even more selective silence, and the same three key ingredients served him well through the set. Sorry For Us took on a heavier energy than anyone could have anticipated, while Dinosaur Stampede was a perfect demonstration of the importance of emotion in live performance. Singing over the same four chords played on repeat, he held the room in the palm of his hand with his emphatic vocals alone.

Like a perfect partner to his emotional songwriting, Calnin’s honest explanations of emotive tracks like White Knight allowed the audience to feel the lyrics on a personal level. The energetic looped melody in Ultrabeast was as close as Calnin got to mainstream pop, boosted with another dose of passionate vocals. Then, just when it seemed like he couldn’t possibly squeeze any more emotion into a single hour, he snuck in his “happy love song” Launch, captivating the audience with the universally endearing story of new love.

To release two albums in six months is unusual and impressive to say the least, just like Hayden Calnin’s music. If he keeps up the pace, there could be four albums by the end of this year and hopefully several more Brisbane shows.