‘Sounds From the Ground’ provides a personal glimpse into the dynamic, lively, and intriguing independent music scene in London. Our third edition continues to highlight the variety of independent music in the city, starting with a return to Soho’s ‘The Spice of Life.’
The Spice of Life, 14.01.25:
2025 has burst forth with vitality, both in life and sound for Idiotwin, who kicked off the year with two back-to-back opening performances. This flurry of activity is precisely what I hope to sustain, as a musician who sits at home without producing feels unproductive, stagnant, or disregarded. Music embodies life and is meant to be experienced; starting the year with two gigs is exactly the ignition an independent artist needs, if not longs for. Where better to feel alive than in a city that, at its core, rarely rests?
A year may have passed, its arc diminishing in the swiftest tick of a second-hand, yet London’s streets remain vibrant and bustling with vehicles and streams of black cabs. Streetlights flicker, watching over hurried pedestrians or employees huddled behind the glass of fast-food storefronts. Buses are still delayed. Trains continue to be… delayed, or packed like large sardine cans. The more things evolve, the more they seem to persist in their ways. Amid the ceaseless noise of the city, The Spice of Life endures as a cherished refuge, not just for rest but also as a meeting point for various independent musicians. It feels as welcoming as ever, with pot candles casting warm pockets of light in the downstairs performance area. A neon sign displaying the venue's name continues to hang behind the stage, an unobtrusive affirmation of its location. With each subsequent edition I write, it will increasingly be clear and perhaps tiresome to reiterate – Idiotwin frequently performs at The Spice of Life, they cherish this venue, and they relish every gig held there.
The Spice of Life
This evening featured a trio of singer-songwriters, each notably talented at filling the atmosphere with a sense of joy in their unique sound. There were no lackluster performances, the kind one might expect from disenchanted individuals reluctantly attending an independent music night.
First to take the stage was Angie Colman (@angiecolmanmusic), who had the audience captivated even before she sang a note, sharing that she had traveled all the way from Perth (Perth!) to perform her first gig abroad in Soho. I couldn't confirm how long she had been in London by the time she stepped on stage, but any signs of fatigue from such an extensive journey were absent. She managed to bring a sense of tranquility from the other side of the globe into a basement in central London, becoming visibly enveloped in it. Her performance could easily have taken place in a bedroom, solo and for no audience, which made it all the more enchanting. My only hope was that some of her songs were longer; they unfolded like sprawling roads entangled in intricate, flowing guitar melodies that could have carried on indefinitely. It should be noted that Angie was also a pleasure to converse with; perhaps there truly is an Australian spirit, and she embodies it.
Next was Loxie (@loxie), who happened to be celebrating her birthday the day after this gig. Thankfully for her, Idiotwin was in attendance and has a song about birthdays that they love to dedicate to audience members in turn (it goes without saying that this was the highlight of the evening… naturally). Her set was filled with moments of brilliance, showcasing songs about the contrasting experiences of love: the bliss it can bring or the anguish of a breakup. What made Loxie’s performance so delightful, however, was her inclination for Jarvis Cocker-like lyricism, symbolizing interdependence, immaturity, or the naïve joy found in simple pleasures – like a runny egg and toast.
To conclude the night, we were treated to the talents of Tom Seth Johnson (@tom_seth_johnson), who presented himself with the confidence of a man assured of his musical abilities. He exuded a certain suave charm on stage. Describing a fingerstyle guitarist as having ‘poetically stable’ technique makes sense to me; he transitioned smoothly between chords and arpeggios without missing a beat. A brief mention from him of Bob Dylan made the comparison immediately apparent. In every bluesy motion, in every chord shift, in every reach for a higher note, the resemblance was clear, not in a belittling way, but rather in an endearing manner.
at The Spice of Life
at The Spice of Life
at The Spice of Life
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The Lucky Pig, 16.01.25:
Like any city, London can be divided into areas associated with different traits. This area can be characterized this way, that area in another manner, and so on. Fitzrovia is known
The third edition of ‘Sounds From the Ground’ keeps honoring the mix of independent music in London, starting with a return to Soho’s ‘The Spice of Life.’