Julia Jacklin at O2 Kentish Town - 03.12.19

Photo credit: Facebook

In December, Australian singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin filled O2 Kentish Town with her enchanting and mesmerizing voice. Jacklin fiddled with her guitar, tuning it once she walked on stage, taken aback by the sheer number of people who had come to watch her perform.

After her first successful studio album, ‘Don’t Let the Kids Win’, Julia is back to her folk-rock ways. Her past few years dealt with some professional changes, but she still has managed to deliver another heartbreaking yet uplifting album. ‘Crushing,’ her newest release, is filled with three-dimensional themes like lost love and body acceptance.

She bonds with the audience, asking them about how they feel, and chatting between songs. Her calm stage presence and self-assured performance is incredibly captivating. The crowd sways between songs, waiting patiently for her to put on another ballad. Julia opens up about her family and tour - how she doesn’t know where she is or what time it is, and how her massive tour has put her in a bit of a daze. She confides in the crowd about her sister's pregnancy and how it feels confusing, as she thought they were still just kids. She starts her set with ‘Comfort’, bringing the audience back to the feeling of fresh heartbreak, and moves on to ‘Body’, taking the crowd on her journey of shame and regaining power through photos taken by her ex. She expresses her vulnerability through this album through delicate vocals and emotive storytelling. The band is as spontaneous as she is, riffing off one other while playing and revamping originals. We get a taste of the previous album with ‘Leadlight’, before her hits from this album ‘Good Guy’ and ‘Pressure to Party’. At some point, she even takes requests from the audience, singing ‘I’m Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman’ by one of her idols, Britney Spears.

‘Crushing’ is a deeply personal and moving record in which Jacklin showcases her past and proves to be a new person while performing the songs. A record written after a brutal tour schedule, she indulges in this sense of the unknown, questioning where she belongs. The record allows us into her life and her journey in finding herself once again, despite some new obstacles to overcome.

Edited by Alexia McDonald, Head Digital Editor