On the 22nd of November, Sunny Side Down had their first headline show at Birmingham’s favourite venue, The Sunflower Lounge. Put on by DYAF Promotions and Koan Records, the venue was packed out, brimmed with euphoria and featured an array of unique talent.
Kicking off the night was Miss Terious. An enthralling, interesting performance with so much depth. Having never listened to the artist before, I was completely blown away by their stage presence and distinct sound. A bewitching, intriguing approach, Miss Terious captures your gaze and locks you in for her entire performance. Enticing her audience with captivating movement, beautiful vocals and intense rap, Miss Terious remains anonymous throughout the show- covered by either a veil or a masquerade mask. The mystery of her art adds to the allure of her performance. Miss Terious toys with stories of darkness and trauma, whilst incorporating elements of fantasy fiction. Currently Miss Terious has a selection of singles released on all major streaming services, with her latest single ‘Haunted House’ released in June this year.
Next up was Aressa. There was a swift shift from the intense, alternative sounds of rapper, Miss Terious to the melancholic, indie sounds of Aressa. Looking at the line-up of the event beforehand, I was expecting a solo artist, but Aressa brought with her an entire band to back up her beautiful sound. Aressa’s sound is hugely emotive and has often been known for making her crowds cry. Alongside performing with her band, Aressa did perform a select few songs with just her vocals and acoustic guitar. The simplicity and soft approach of these tracks adds to the emotional aura of Aressa’s art. A favourite track of Aressa’s set is her cover of Paramore’s ‘Ain’t It Fun’. I was amazed by how perfectly Aressa’s voice worked so well with against the pop-punk instrumental. Her vocals hold so much power and ultimately, I came out of the night hoping for Aressa to release music with a pop-punk approach- her voice so excellently blends with this style. Aressa released her debut EP 'Midsummer Ends' in August 2020, and we will hopefully catch more new released music soon, as well as more local shows.
Lemongrass were next on the line-up and struck the stage with utter confidence and sass. They approached their set with complete ease and sailed through their tracks flawlessly. Lemongrass came across as a finely tuned machine with a beautiful sound. The band’s performance was satisfying to watch with Lemongrass facing their set with profound professionalism and passion. Lemongrass’ set featured a flurry of original tracks and a selection of perfectly chosen covers, demonstrating how their sound lends themselves to such a variety of genres. My favourite original track from Lemongrass had to be their latest single ‘Delia’, I think this song was even more effective played live than recorded, plus there was a great audience reaction to this track. My favourite cover featured on their set was ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl?’ by Jet, I think this song really demonstrated the talent of this band, along with their unfaltering confidence and stage presence. Lemongrass currently have 3 singles released, and I’m hoping there will be more tracks to be released very soon, perhaps even an EP?
Finally, the stars of the show, Sunny Side Down. This band is filled with honest smiles and so much happiness that you can’t help but love them. Their music is polluted with hidden layers of darkness and depth and yet their sound is giddy and euphoric. Speaking to the band in a brief interview before the show (to be released soon), Sunny Side Down outlined that with their music they intend to cover themes of darkness whilst showcasing a bubbly, upbeat sound- I think this blend works very well, especially in live performances. The band is full of sweet characters and big ambitions, seeing them play live only emphasises this. You can see that each band member has an emotional connection with the music and truly cares about their sound.
The outfit’s set was brimmed with original tracks and featured one cover- ‘Song For Me’ by Greer. Reflecting on Sunny Side Down’s performance it’s so difficult to pick out a favourite track from their set. A selection of favourites include: ‘2014 Honda Civic’, ‘Marmalade’, ‘Worm Song’ and of course, ‘Garden Shed’. ‘Worm Song’ can’t help but make you connect with the band on the soppiest level, the innocence and simplicity of the track brings out the needy soul in all of us, begging the question: ‘Would you still love me if I were a worm?’ Sunny Side Down are in the process of creating new music and should be releasing new singles and hopefully an EP sometime soon. But in the meantime, if you get the chance to see them live, it’s definitely worth it for the boost of serotonin.
You can listen to Sunny Side Down’s debut single now on all major streaming platforms.
All photos taken by Kye- Rock'In Events
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