Live Report: Leila Jane performs a soulful Y&E Series set

Dublin indie-folk artist Leila Jane has had a golden year since the release of her Eurovision single ‘Wild.’ Her recent EP, Revolve Evolve, proved the rising singer-songwriter carries the kind of rare versatility that blends genres with ease, crafting memorable narratives through her lyrical poetry. Last night, she joined Hot Press for the current Y&E Series to perform a few of her songs, from the old and unreleased to everything in between.

Early to her set, Jane took a moment to introduce herself to his audience. “Very excited to be here playing this gig,” she said, “with thanks to the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media for letting us put this on.”

She kicked things off with an unreleased song ‘Field of Dreams.” “I partly was inspired by watching the series The Affair, and got some inspiration from that to finish this song,” she revealed, before plucking the intro on her acoustic guitar. The strings cradled her voice, which carried an upbeat tone through the verses, lilting in the chorus.

Jane’s narrative, surreal brand of storytelling was on full display in the track, with such lyrics as, “Forgive me, it’s not how it seems / I was held up in my field of dreams. When tomorrow comes, I’ll know wrong from right / And I’ll walk with you into the night.”

Up next was another vault number entitled ‘Careful Wanderer,’ which the singer shared will hopefully make it on her next album, before correcting herself. “Well, I will – not hopefully, I will!” she laughed.

The performance emanated a delicate, melancholy soul, with Jane’s dynamic vocals functioning as an instrument of their own. “Silence is a virtue and it heals me with its truth / Untangle this reckless heart, and let it make new rules,” she sang, effortlessly producing spine-tingling runs and gravelly growls and then climbing to an ethereal croon.

She took a quick tea break, checking in with her audience. “It’s a very nice experience to be part of this Y&E Series,” Jane beamed as she grabbed a capo for ‘Joe,’ taking things (quite literally) down a notch.

Released in 2021, ‘Joe’ is as foreboding in its stripped-back rendition as it is on record. Jane’s voice took on a full rockabilly blues sound, giving the track a dark, haunted soul quality reflective of the singer-songwriter’s jazzy roots.

Her vocals created a contrast between light and dark, as she sang about letting go of a toxic love, ending on a liberated final note with a sort of closure. The guitar cut short of her voice when she reached the final lines, “Beauty don’t come without a fee, you ran out of beer so left swiftly.”

Jane gave a fan in her virtual audience a happy birthday shoutout, then dedicated the next song to her as a gift. Describing ‘Dance With Me,’ Jane said, “It’s my summery, happy vibes song.” And that it was: she played an upbeat, jumpy guitar melody, with a jazzy croak to her voice that made the song come alive in bright colours.

She spoke briefly of this week’s upcoming Y&E guests, shouting out “Mark Caplice and Sammy Copley, who are amazing and you should check out as well,” before announcing her final song of the set, ‘Woman Blues.’ A hot note to end on, Jane shared, “It’s kind of like a feminist blues song, I was very angry at the time when I wrote it so I was able to channel it into this song.”

The track evoked a fiery red mood in keeping with the best of angry feminist anthems, maintaining a slow, tense guitar tempo. “Do you know what it feels like to be kissed inside a bar? Ew!” she squealed, “By a stranger who didn’t ask permission.” A sultry, folk tune amplified by the live, emotional power of Jane’s versatile vocals, ‘Woman Blues’ shines a red hot spotlight on the age-old story of the trials of womanhood and the complicity of men.

Before ending her performance, Jane once again thanked Hot Press and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. “For making all this possible,” she said, “and having me and other artists get the chance to play for you.”

Watch Leila Jane’s full Y&E Series performance below:

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Watch the Hot Press Y&E Series - supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media - live on the Hot Press Instagram at 7pm each night.

Catch the following acts taking over the Hot Press Instagram in the coming days…

Tuesday 17th: Mark Caplice
Breaking through with his searing cover of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’ for the Grammy's Reimagined At Home Series, Caplice joins the Y&E series off the back of his debut album The Brighter Side of Sorrow, released in June. Having sold out venues around Europe, and garnered support across Irish & UK radio, the Wicklow native’s music offers a sense of solace for lovers of nostalgic, folk-rooted sonics.

Wednesday 18th: Sammy Copley
Tipped as one of Hot Press' 'Hot For 2023 Irish Acts', the singer-songwriter's fearlessly vulnerable approach has resonated with fans around the world – clocking up millions of streams and a phenomenal online following. His Y&E Series performance comes hot on the heels of his latest release, 'Terms Of Endearment (Demo)' – and will offer a promising taste of what to expect from his highly anticipated Whelan's headliner on November 4.

Thursday 19th: Krea
After initially rising to prominence as a member of Wyvern Lingo, Krea – aka Karen Cowley – emerged as a dazzling solo act last year with the serene ‘September Sun.’ With her debut EP The Callows now out in the world, the artist’s luscious melodies and captivating storytelling invites listeners on a soulful ride. Her promising Y&E set will arrive after a premiere of her forthcoming video, so stay tuned!

Friday 20th: Bernard M
Marked by his standout passion for creating genre-bending music and for bringing that sound to life onstage, the 23-year-old Crumlin native and multi-instrumental singer-songwriter/producer brings it all to the table. His shows are something of a spiritual experience, his magnetising energy and boundary-defying sonics captivating anyone lucky enough to be present. His new single ‘Young,’ a story of young love, is an earworm of an electric pop anthem.