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In a year where everyone’s live shows have gone down the drain. I’m so exited to be putting on a show in my dream venue. I will be live streaming a live performance for you guys in the mf Tate Morden!!!!! Save the date. The rona won’t stop us

A post shared by Griff (@wiffygriffy) on Oct 15, 2020 at 9:05am PDT

Griff’s first EP ‘The Mirror Talk EP‘ was released with Warner Records back in November 2019. Since then she has taken the UK music scene by storm, having been described as the UK’s ‘Brightest New Pop Star‘. Griff is only 19 years old, but her song writing skills have matured a lot over her short time in the industry. Her debut EP was certainly impressive, but her 2020 creations such as singles ‘Good Stuff‘ and ‘Forgive Myself‘ feel more emotionally mature and also more distinctively her own style.

In the last few months, Griff has branched out into collaborations with exciting names such as HONNE and TSHA, lending her smooth vocals to their complex beat arrangements. 1,000,000 X Better, collab with HONNE, saw Griff singing about the support a loving relationship can give: ‘…I know sometimes I’m heard to love… When I got clouds hanging over my head// Yeah I get irrational, crazy, upset// But you// Pick me back up and// You tell me it’s okay’. 

The beat and electronic arrangements gave the track a dreaminess reminiscent of Owl City’s music. Her collaboration with TSHA, released in August this year, was a more upbeat affair. However the lyrics of that song, too, explored serious themes. Griff stated that Say It Again was written when ‘a lot of her friends were going through mental health issues, and [she] felt so helpless. This song is basically [her] helpless self trying to reassure a friend whose going through a really difficult time’. 

Griff’s ability to make serious and vulnerable music that can also get you dancing is quite unique. Perhaps this is one reason why she is a nominee for the first ever Ivor Novello Rising Star Award. This year must have been difficult for her as an artist, as she has been unable to perform live shows due to the Covid-19 pandemic; It is good news that she can at least fulfil her dream of performing at the Tate!

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Such a pleasure to take part in this. Thanks for watching and we you x

A post shared by La Blogotheque (@blogotheque) on Sep 8, 2020 at 11:07am PDT

They began their set with a few endearing attempts to speak French, and declared that they themselves have always been fans of the French platform. La Blogothèque, operational since 2009, have been broadcasting a series of Stay Away shows since mid March and has seen performances by several British musicians such Mellah and Whitney.

HONNE opened with no song without you, a love song from their July 2020 album of the same name. The smooth vocals of Andy Clutterback shone through without any distractions, as the live version did not have the percussive drum beat and synth instrumental present on the album.

Honne is a Japanese concept referring to a person’s true feelings and desires. The duo chose the word because they fell in love with its meaning and felt it ‘described exactly what [they] were writing about at that time’.

It is true that HONNE’s sophomore album, Warm on a Cold Night, was deeply personal. A compilation of love songs with the cringe factor of Michael Bubble and Maroon 5, but with the added layer of digital production finesse to make it more interesting.

Earnest boy-band love songs have fallen out of fashion lately, but HONNE has manage to make them cool again. In the words of the Telegraph, their creations are ‘futuristic soul destined t0 re-invent baby-making music’.

The song Warm on a Cold Night is one of the band’s most popular, so it’s unsurprising that they played it as the penultimate number for their Stay Away show. The tight percussion and dreamy synths were missing, giving the song a purity absent on the album version.

Unfortunately we didn’t get the smooth radio presenter telling us at the start of the track ‘Okay, it’s 3:17 AM. You’re tuned in with your main man Tommy Inglethorpe// This next song’s gonna keep you warm on a cold, cold night’, a comical indication that the band are fully aware of the song’s cheesiness.

For the most part, the set consisted of tracks from the band’s latest album no song without you. All were performed with stripped-back production and only two instruments – three, if you count Clutterbuck’s smooth vocals! The result was a soulful and intimate set, in keeping with the band’s name once again.