Eivør at Electric Ballroom, London

Outside the Electric Ballroom in Camden on a Monday night, we can hear typical daily chaos and commotion of the everyday. However, if you were lucky enough to find yourself inside the venue – you got to take in soothing sounds, calming your mind from the anxieties of fast-paced life. This concert was part of the European Tour by Faroese Island singer and songwriter Eivør, which promotes her new, released in June, studio album “Enn” – with fantastic support from Sylvaine.

Sylvaine

Sylvaine arrived amid the intense anticipation that had been building up inside the venue since the moment its doors opened. Her performance felt intimate as she rose on the podium alone, armed with a guitar and no backing band. She, however, did not need it—we all got enchanted by the songs as soon as the first notes sounded through the speakers. It was as if we all sat around the fire in the middle of the ancient Norwegian forest, surrounded by its folklore spirits. Sylvaine is not a newcomer in the music industry. Two of her four studio albums received the Norwegian Grammy Awards nominations, with past performances around Europe and North and South America.

Eivør

The adjective “epic” means to be heroic and grand in scale or character – that is what Eivor delivered on stage that evening – an epic show. The atmosphere was spellbinding. I was lucky to watch her first three songs from the photography stalls, where I felt her power beaming from the stage. We got invited to go through her set list as if we were listening to the record player together, pausing and reflecting on what we just heard and eagerly turning the album over to the B side. Influences from her culture and the rugged landscapes of the Faroe Islands are evident and audible during the performance, with music that is difficult to categorize into one specific genre. Her influences span from folk to metal, classical and electronic music and much more. As an international artist, Eivor does not shy away from singing in her native language, and rightfully so, as many words lose their true meaning and power when translated into English. The ambience of the Nordic tales was so vivid I had to look twice when I saw a man walking past in a full Viking costume. Distinguishing fantasy from reality was difficult with this powerful soundtrack. The album “Enn” is out now.