W & I: Joseph Murphy

For the final, spectacular night of Far East Festival, an unbridled shove of hyperpop, soul, rock, prog and folk from the youth of London and beyond was served up. Deep in East London, in the even more deeply creative borough of Hackney, lies The Star in Shoreditch, a streetside venue posing intimate and lively settings for the shows of today’s growing talent. Showcasing the often unheard and unseen hidden gem acts, Far East Festival’s finale didn’t disappoint. 

Opening up was break pop/rave core artist Ruby Elizia, with her digitised, genre-bending sound. Citing influences in Lil Peep, Charli XCX and Tomb, her set showcased her dedicated style, alongside a decisive energy, fit for the internet age. Her newest single, Exposure Therapy, filled the basement with trap beats and twinkling synths, building a significant level of AURA FARMING, similar to the title of her collab with producer LORD KNIGHTFALL.

“Ruby Elizia opened up, with her genre-bending style”

The vibe shifted with singer/songwriter Charlie Ren, with an ethereal folk sound akin to Noah Kahan and Aurora. Her vocals and lyrical style were simply haunting, in the best way possible.  Delivering a beautiful and elegant sound, vocals lilting over an isolating guitar, Slot Machine was the favourite.
Charlie stood alone on the stage for her acoustic set, which held a distinct ghostliness, bringing us a creative twist on Chappell Roan’s Good Luck Babe!

“Charlie Ren’s beautiful yet ghostly songwriting silenced the crowd”

Later, Soulful and self-proclaimed “Llama Rock” progenitors, Cafe Totem brought down the house. Pulling in influences from Latin jazz, indie rock and classic soul sounds, the band punched through the night with an Aussie-inspired encapsulation of the Sheffield scene. Their new single Beside You brought the audience into their elegant sound, before Funky Llama simply forced the audience into the groove.

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“Cafe Totem’s debut single, Beside You, demonstrates a smooth, singular first career
entry”

Another Sheffield staple, Steel Frog, chucked their amphibious tones our way next. Crowd participation, movement, warmth and euphoria flowed throughout. Their longing romance, Stay, before driving rock took over in Out There and had the audience shouting the lyrics back to the stage. The band ended on Ska-inspired Nowhere Town, jumped tempos, leading to stomping feet in the summer heat of the basement venue.

“Steel Frog – The Sheffield scene brought south”

Finally, evening headliners Frontwoman, a 4-piece lyric-focused post-post-punk band, brought their commentary on contemporary relationships, corporate influence and modernity, as well as a succinct heaviness and attitude. Their debut single Pastiche of You grapples with the internet age, the need to be heard in the noise of social media and the disposability of modern romance.

“Frontwoman are building the post of post-punk”