With a genre described as ‘dusky indie-pop’, British singer-songwriter, Holly Ffion Humberstone, took to the Manchester Academy stage last night in all her newfound glory. At the humble age of twenty-two, and having only signed her recording label contract last year, Humberstone has wasted no time making waves in the industry; with her Glastonbury performance earlier this year, securing the Brit Award for Rising Star, and duetting with Geordie heartthrob, Sam Fender, it seems Humberstone is riding a righteous road to success.

After the likes of Kelly Clarkson and Blink 182 were played to set the mood, Humberstone promptly arrived to the stage in a fittingly grungy outfit, complete with fingerless evening gloves and an electric guitar; a modernised version of noughties pop-punk princess, Avril Lavigne, in her glamorous yet gothic ensemble. Time seemed of the essence, as Humberstone got straight stuck into her set with The Walls Are Way Too Thin. The crowd, which were predominantly young females, seemed elated with the opening song choice as they passionately recited the resonating words. With her melancholic music, heavily influenced by, and lyrically relating to the misery heartbreak and loneliness can bring, it seems Humberstone is England’s answer to American, sad-girl-pop newbie, Olivia Rodrigo, even exposing ‘if her exes can’t tell which songs they inspired, she’s doing something wrong’ in a recent interview with Insider.

    The next number was an older track by Humberstone called Vanilla, before herself and the band plunged into Please Don’t Leave Me Yet. Humberstone effortlessly revealed her flair for keyboard-playing, whilst continuing with her heavenly vocals; if there is one undeniable detail about this artist, it is that her voice is unquestionably angelic. After three songs, Humberstone addressed her Mancunian fans, declaring her love for the city and our community, before detailing her move to London after a short-lived university experience in Liverpool. Humberstone expressed how the next song was written during this time, as the lights dwindled to near darkness and a dramatic, elongated intro began before well-known hit, London Is Lonely, caused emotional turmoil amongst gig-goers. The remainder of the show preserved this emotive energy, as Humberstone and her band smoothly glided throughout her current hits, illustrating indisputable talent and maintaining a dynamic atmosphere.

It seems Humberstone’s self-description of ‘quite fiery’ with a ‘definite chaotic energy’ was an honest self-depiction after witnessing her on-stage presence; her impassioned enthusiasm for her profession does not go unnoticed, however, Humberstone seems to maintain a subtle shyness which portrays an element of modesty mixed with evidence of a self-effacing, down-to-earth persona. There’s a lovable, cordial charm about Humberstone, who evidently wears her heart on her sleeve, nuzzling her intimate lyrics inside a genre of idyllic pop-punk, completed with her grunge-girl appearance. It was a pleasure to be amongst such an intimate crowd yesterday evening, as I’m certain Humberstone will be progressing onto much bigger venues as she continues to take the music-world by storm with her distinctive, solo take on modern indie-pop with a welcomed side dish of sorrow.