Write Like A Girl: September Review

Write Like A Girl (WLAG) is an incredible concept. Only 17% of songwriters in the UK are female and the idea of this show champions upcoming female artists. This regular event is the brainchild of musicians Beth Keeping, Emily Faye and Vic Allen. It shines a light on the talented women on our ever-growing country music scene.

I had the pleasure of going to the very first WLAG show held in Norwich in May last year. It’s made me so happy to see how the show has gone from strength to strength, selling out their previous Camden Chapel venue on multiple occasions.

They have now moved their London gigs into The Hub Coffee House in Lambeth. I did some further research into the café itself after finding out they’re a not-for-profit social enterprise, with all money they make going back into the community. This is helping local foodbanks, debt advice centres, and youth work. The atmosphere in here felt so friendly and welcoming, with prices of food and drink were very affordable. I would definitely recommend stopping by if you’re in the Waterloo area.

Friday’s lineup was stellar as always, featuring Beth Keeping, Polly Money, Vic Allen and Jess Thristan.

Beth Keeping started each round with one of her original songs. I’ve seen her play multiple WLAG gigs and she has a rawness and truth in her lyrics, with ‘Building Bridges On The Dance Floor’ being a current favourite of mine.

A highlight of Beth’s song choices last night was her ballad, ‘Naked’. As the name suggests, this song is about allowing yourself to be vulnerable around people you love. The high, ‘whistle’ notes in this performance were gorgeous.

Polly Money is effortlessly cool, with all of her tracks having an edge to them. Admittedly, I didn’t know of her music before this writer’s round, but I’ll definitely be a regular listener from now on. This is the first WLAG where an electric guitar was present, and Polly brought it to life.

I loved ‘While We Fall Asleep’ especially, a stunning track that explores the struggles of being in a long distance relationship. This struck a chord with the audience, and received an eruption of applause at the end of her set.

Vic Allen had a great mix of old and new material to share with us. I’ve seen her live more times than I can count on my fingers and each time she brings something new to the table.

My personal favourite of Vic’s was hearing ‘Talk’ live for the first time. She invited the intimate crowd to sing along with her to the upbeat tune. I can’t imagine how amazing it would be to hear a room full of people singing something you created back to you.

Jess Thristan was the last artist to play each round. The Yorkshire singer and her incredible guitarist impressed the crowd performance after performance.

Jess’ final song, ‘Like A Guy Would’, was a great close to an evening of live music. The sass in this confident breakup anthem had everyone bopping in their seats. I loved the lyrics, which tell the story of a woman getting over a man in the exact same way he would stereotypically be getting over her.

Beth introduced a new idea to this round, and suggested that all the artists participating take five minutes to say what they appreciated about each other’s music. In an industry where women are sadly pitted against each other over almost anything, this was super refreshing. I loved this segment of the gig as it felt genuinely special to each artist and audience member watching.

If you haven’t been to a Write Like A Girl gig yet, I highly recommend it! I really enjoy discovering new artists while seeing favourites each time. You never know completely what to expect from this event, but I’ve found you always leave feeling positive and inspired – knowing you’ve supported upcoming artists.

Write Like A Girl is on tour in November! You can check out the dates and buy tickets below:

9/11 – Witch & Sow Pub Barn, Northampton

10/11 – Louis Marchesi, Norwich

14/11 – Gullivers, Manchester

19/11 – The Water Rats, London

21/11 – The Kitchen Garden Café – Birmingham

Find tickets and further information on Write Like A Girl events here.