Featured image: Chelsea Balan
Whilst on a run of festival performances at the likes of TRNSMT and Barn on the Farm, Tommy Lefroy stopped by Manchester for an intimate gig at The Deaf Institute. If this is your first time hearing about the duo, Wynter Bethel and Tessa Mouzourakis, it’s time to get to know. Tommy Lefroy are a new generation of indie-rockers inspired by the likes of boygenius, Sharon Van Etten and Big Thief, racking up an impressive amount of fans after their 2021 debut EP Flight Risk got an impressive amount of streams (over two million).
Opening with ‘The Mess’ from latest release Rivals EP, their soft vocals are welcomed amongst the crowd as everyone respectfully falls to silence in their presence. Next came a fan favourite from this release, ‘Worst Case Kid’, with engaging lyrics that sing about what ifs and made to scream along to. Hearing the crowd shout ‘we could’ve been fine’ and ‘the witch is dead’ was a highlight of the set and had the duo stifling laughs on stage at the crowds dramatic reaction. Singing along to these lyrics felt somewhat therapeutic in a room full of complete strangers.
The set list featured Tommy Lefroy’s two EPs in full making this a rare opportunity to witness as they continue on their journey to indie-stardom, for this date in particular the set also included single ‘Northern Towns’ which they stated they added to the setlist as they thought the crowd of Manchester would be able to relate, the fans were clearly delighted as they sung along to the heartbreaking lyrics about Northern boys. The gig had an intimate and warm feel as in-between songs the duo would chat to the crowd about what they have been up to as if they were old friends.
‘Flight Risk’ and ‘Vampires’ were especially a highlight as the duo’s vocals echoed around the room pitch perfect. The set was flawless from start to finish, looking around the crowd there were cheeks stained with tears as it was clear the young crowd found the lyrics relatable and nostalgic with Lefroy’s reflective songwriting, a main reason why Tommy Lefroy have gained so much traction. The lyrics to their songs ruminate the ideas of loves lost, self doubt and growing pains which resonated strongly with the crowd mainly filled with young women.
Adding in a cover of ‘Norman Fucking Rockwell’ by Lana Del Rey, went down as a pleasant surprise as fans loudly sung along to the lyrics and danced. Finishing the set with ‘Dog Eat Dog’, the duo ended the set on a high, with the duo’s vocals being soft yet filled with raw emotion heightened by the sound of the electric guitars. The crowd were fully immersed as they swayed shoulder to shoulder, friends and strangers.
It is clear Tommy Lefroy are set for big things and we look forward to welcoming them back to our city.
