Live Review: Eloise @ Lion Arts Factory 25/10/26

Adelaide spent their rainy Sunday night with London singer-songwriter Eloise, who transformed her intimate gig at Lion Arts Factory into a classy, swinging jazz bar.

Opening the show was local artist Sofia Menguita, who performed solo, only accompanied by her guitar. Her dreamy songs whisked away the audience, capturing and holding their attention with lyrics that have been formed straight from her diary entries and poems.

Dedicating songs to her new partner and evil ex-boyfriend, Menguita navigated letting go, holding on, heartbreak and longing as a young woman in her songs, while the mellow, muffled strums of her guitar back her bittersweet vocals.

She introduced a new unreleased song, 'My God', explaining how it was written about her decision to leave youth group, realising that Christianity wasn't for her, while also falling out with her best friend. The duality of the religious terminology really stood out to me; it was clear how carefully constructed the song was and how it ultimately unpacks her growth and coming-of-age confidence.

"I used to kneel for every little thing / I can't keep lying and waiting for you / They made me pray, they made me kneel / Am I supposed to feel weak in his name?"

If you are a fan of folk-pop singer-songwriters, or your favourite artists are Lizzy McAlpine or Julia Jacklin, you should definitely check her out.

Eloise then graced the stage, greeted with cheers from her adoring audience, jumping straight into her first track of the night, 'Left Side' from her debut EP, This Thing Called Living.

The London-based artist instantly transformed the room into a sexy jazz club as she plucked away at her guitar, serenading us with her crisp, swinging vocals.

In the country on her Drama Queen tour, Eloise has embarked on her biggest run of Australian shows yet, playing five dates in six days. She said next time she'll stay longer to "kiss everyone on the face" after the gig.

READ MORE: Live Review: Zara Larsson @ AEC Arena 18/10/26

On the road promoting her latest and greatest release, My Man and Me, Eloise said the album is something she is really proud of: "It feels like a homecoming, not a departure".

Singing, writing and performing since she was 17, Eloise shared that her latest album is an amalgamation of all her previous work within the themes, genres and sounds from traditional folk and pop to old Disney jazz.

"It has pop structure and energy from my first album Drunk On A Flight, add some horns in there, and you've got My Man and Me," landing similarly to Amy Winehouse in her distinctive style, which someone also whispered behind me.

Eloise played songs from all different times in her life and all different releases from her discography, commenting, "If some songs sound happy, don't be fooled; they are still sad."

The live rendition of her songs – a solo performance with just her acoustic guitar or sitting behind the keyboard – transcended the studio recording by miles, making her an artist that you must witness in the flesh. She received many cheers for her phenomenal raw vocals; her range and control were genuinely astonishing; her voice is just something you really appreciate so much more when experiencing it in real time.

First disclaimer for this gig: beware of couples. They are everywhere. Hand in hand, arm in arm, swaying and holding each other lovingly. So, if you are easily squeamish, focus your head on the stage and don't look around.

Second disclaimer: you will cry. And that's okay! I witnessed multiple people around me shed tears, ball their eyes out or hold their drinks close to their chest as they thought about all the ways they related to Eloise’s songs.

It wasn't until Eloise slowed her set right down for 'Don’t Let Me Down' that I realised that, in between her breaths, during her "ooohs" and "hmms" as we listened to her ascending vocals, holding notes higher and longer than humanly possible, she was giving us room to think and to feel.

Suddenly I could visualise the empty space during those in-between moments being filled with emotion and contemplation rather than silence. I realised that is why Eloise had such a profound impact on so many people that night: her music isn't necessarily just sad, but she gives listeners the safety and comfort to feel and interpret her songs in their own way, enabling them to experience her music however they like, even if that means a few tears are shed.