Elenne May live. Living room, Haarlem Saturday 3 September 2022

Photo: Wout de Natris

The Amsterdam based band Elenne May came into my life in the fall of 2015 with the first of three EPs that would make up the album 'Veggie Patch In The Desert', that became one of my favourite albums of 10s. Since I have seen several live shows, including one with exclusively new songs and then silence. There was no new music, owing to Covid, until the winter of this year, when five singles were announced of which three have been released so far. The band put its energy into not only recording five new songs but also to make five videos to accompany them. Don't forget to look them up on You Tube.

The singles are a part of a theatre show called 'Velvet Beings' and that show was played in a living room. A pin could have been dropped for the whole show as the band seemed to have cast a spell on the audience. Applaud or not? For seconds on end people held their breath, creating a tension that could be felt in an almost physical way, before the band started a new song. Spellbound.

It is impossible, at least for me, to give a full impression of a show that I have seen only once. The only thing I can offer, are my best intentions and observations. Hence a division into three topics: the band, the music, the show.

The band

Elenne May has waited for over two and a half years to play this show beyond the first try out in March 2020. The band starting working on the songs in 2017, the year after 'Veggie Patch' was released. The band has grown tremendously in the meantime. It was good and had many songs I truly liked. With Velvet Beings the band shows so much growth. For a few reasons. One is that, perhaps because of it being a show, the band has gelled more into a whole than before. The level of interaction is far greater and the harmonies stunning. Switching between instruments also made the level of interaction so much better. Not just because it freed singer Elenne to play her role, it made the interaction so much more apparent. The one can't truly do without the other any more. Being so up close as in a living room, makes it even more special and noticeable. In everything a new level was reached. Far more people should be hearing this show and its music.

The music

The songs were recorded with Tessa Rose Jackson, active herself under the name 'Someone'. This resulted in the songs receiving a more, what I opt to call, modern sound. Atmospherics, beats, more electronics, it is all a part of Elenne May now, while the music is fully recognisable as Elenne May. This is only one part of the story, because at a minimum half of the songs in the show have not been recorded. At this point it seems likely they never will be and what a loss for the world that would be. Songs that play a huge part in the telling of the Velvet Beings story. Two songs in which Elenne does not take the lead but is sung to by band members Roeland and Eveline. The final song, a pop song with perfect harmonies. The opening song, like clockwork, "tick tock". The songs that truly stood out, of course, were the released singles, simply because I could sing along. Unfair competition, had there been one. It was the memory of the richness of the music that remained with me when the show was over.

The show

What can you do in a few square meters? Everything. All the instruments were there, all the props, all the walking around, the creation of perimeters. It was all possible. The story of feeling alone and lost, of wanting to belong, of brainwashing, the becoming locked in ever closer and of releasing yourself from a place where you so not want to belong (any longer). I heard a few of the ladies in the audience mention that they totally related to the story. The conclusion can only be that the story and message came across loud and clear. It all played out in samples, words from a diary, the songs and the acting. Not to forget, a few surprises, which I will not reveal here and spoil things would you want to go and see the show later on.

It is a pleasure and an honour to be able to see an artist from so up close but also to be able to see what effect the music has on others in the audience. From the faces I could see it touch people, as emotions showed directly. At the same time the interaction between band and audience is so easy to spot.

With only two more singles to go, I can't help feeling that Velvet Beings should become an album. Hopefully the future has a surprise in store. Until that moment, there's only one thing for it: invite Elenne May to come and play the show in your town!

Wout de Natris

You can buy, listen to Elenne May's music here (and contact the band):

https://elennemay.bandcamp.com/