By Megan Foulk, Deputy Music Editor 2024/25

Still jangling with adrenaline from their opening show in Brighton the night previously, Flyte’s raw vulnerability slowed the pace on a busy midweek evening, delivering authenticity from the page to the stage.

Laden with the confessional-style lyricism of their earlier records, fourth studio album Between You and Me deftly articulates the yearning spaces that manifest between people.

Difficult to communicate in words, let alone perform to the misunderstanding ears of strangers, Will Taylor’s disclaimer for the evening: ‘you’ll have to bear with us, we’re still getting used to playing these songs’, only added to the band’s unguarded charm.

Following her ethereal performance – which included a glowing cover of Joni Mitchell’s ‘Cactus Tree’ – folk musician Elanor Moss re-joined Flyte on stage, decorating the duo’s vocal lines with her own celestial tones.

Particularly impressive was her stand-in for Laura Marling, with whom Flyte partnered on single ‘Tough Love’ in 2023. A notably unique voice to emulate, Moss’s timbre shared Marling’s depth and delicacy, blending beautifully with Taylor and Hill.

Aiming for a sound that: ‘sits somewhere between a dewy meadow and a dusty attic, blending nostalgic feelings of the past with the future’ (in Taylor’s own words), Flyte’s recording and live performance process straddles digital and analogue technology.

Informing the low-lit room, ‘Sorry everyone, Jon’s got to load the cassette player’, which housed all the drum loop recordings, the band’s dedication to creating a warm, fuzzy soundscape – regardless of the practicality – matches the sincerity of their sound.

Closing the set with an acoustic, barbershop-style cover of Canadian band Alvvays’ hit single ‘Archie, Marry Me’, Flyte’s love for collaboration was evident.

With an extensive list of partnerships, particularly with female musicians in the folk scene, Laura Marling, Aimee Mann, Billie Marten, and The Staves (with whom they released hit single ‘White Roses’), the band’s celebration of wider artistry was a refreshing close to an intimate night of music making.

Featured Image: Megan Foulk

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