Hovvdy effortlessly charms London

On the back of releasing their self-titled double album, Hovvdy has made an impressive trip around Europe. I was able to catch the Texas duo during their stint in London at the iconic Lafayette, which they deemed to be their biggest headline gig yet.

When reflecting on the show and Hovvdy’s performance, a word that continues to surface in my mind is ‘charming’, effortlessly so, and undeniably genuine. Maybe it was the slight southern accents, the ever-present grins that were plastered on both Charlie Martin and Will Taylor’s faces, or their dreamy sound – but the entire room seemed to be entranced. 

Following an amazing opening performance by the artist Runnner, the band walked onstage to welcoming cheers and applause. The sold-out Lafayette felt warm and present, an appropriate match to the band’s energy. Hovvdy played a satisfying mix of their older tracks and ones from their new album (released earlier this year). The crowd seemed to be excited by both in equal measure, an accomplishment of sorts for the boys I am sure.

Towards the beginning of the set was ‘Jean’, a tune from the new album that has quickly become one of their most popular. The chorus, ‘Don’t want to get comfortable with anything that don’t feel right’, like most Hovvdy choruses, is incredibly catchy while simultaneously poignant and revealing. ‘Give It Up’ is next, a track that Charlie wrote about his grandpa, whose recent passing inspired much of the new record. This song is almost softly heartbreaking, and it was one that I was interested to hear live to see how the crowd received it, as the latter half is mostly instrumental. It was enjoyed how I hoped it would be, with closed eyes and swaying bodies. 

For ‘Bubba’, the duo’s most popular song at the minute, the rest of the band exited the stage and Charlie and Will played it alone. It gave this skittering track a more intimate feel that was quite special. The two playing alone held some of my favourite moments during the show, the collaboration and chemistry between them shining brightly.

A crowd favourite was clearly ‘Make Ya Proud’, another track that Charlie wrote for his grandfather. Charlie grinned as almost everyone sang ‘Sing you a song, I will’ back to him. This track was my personal favourite to see live, completely due to the lyrics ‘Everyone needs a little more time / Goddamn, don’t we all need more time?’ being screamed by the crowd. The track is a wonderful display of their evolved, lo-fi sound. 

Hovvdy rounded out the set with some fan-favourites and exited the stage with clear gratitude written across their faces, completely reciprocated by the crowd. Hovvdy will be supporting beebadoobee during their North American tour – if you can make it to a show, I highly encourage you to do so. 

Listen to Hovvdy’s new album HERE.