It’s a long way from Western Australia for Indie-pop band DULCIE. Who walk out on Riverstage Brisbane with huge smiles to a small but enthusiastic crowd. They join Hockey Dad as supporting acts to Ocean Alley as they work their way through a national tour.
DULCIE start their set with their single ‘Ethereal’ off their new EP Sake of Sound the song originally stemmed from a poem written by vocalist and keyboardist Ash Carr-White. Strong harmonies from the 3 piece that hit you by the chorus change my brain chemistry, as I feel goosebumps start to form from their synchronous sound.
Bass guitarist and fellow vocalist Timieka Denton leads us into their next song ‘Cold Hard Truth’. Their lyrics “Wish I wasn’t an ugly crier” brings about a self awareness I didn’t know I needed. It’s crazy to me how DULCIE have only been making music since 2018 yet their lyricism speaks to this crowd as if they have been making music well beyond their years. Ashleigh breaks out into a dance on stage which invites us in the crowd to join with her. DULCIE reminds me of HAIM in this moment, cool, confident and vibing together on stage.
The three-piece jump into the next song of their set ‘Sun Blind’, which provides a nice tempo change as the crowd starts to get bigger. I can only assume those who join me in the crowd are drawn into Saskia Brittain’s emotive backing vocals in this song.
This next song I only recently discovered while listening to Triple J and you better believe I saved it in my Spotify playlist ASAP so I could listen to it on repeat immediately after. I’m talking of ‘tell ur friends’ the band’s most recent single release. With a sing-along chorus and relatable lyrics of that awkward ‘what are we?’ phase in a relationship, it’s definitely a song to be recognised and might even be Hottest 100 material.
The band vocals are perfectly layered in their next song ‘Fall’, which is followed by their 2019 single ‘Own Ground’. Saskia’s voice especially shines here in one of DULCIE’s more punk influenced singles.
Finally the band plays ‘Nothing Left’ a carefully picked song to insinuate the end of their set. Bringing all their energy into the rise and falls of the beat, I really enjoy watching how comfortable they are on stage. Ash’s voice is especially delightful in leading the crowd to sing along with her in the chorus:
“Maybe there’s nothing left,
better to forget,
overdue and over done,
let’s just make it a means to end,
Tell me when and where,
we can leave it buried and broken”, it’s a relatable tune to anyone who has been in a half hearted relationship.
Dulcie is one of those bands that has a little something for everyone. They have found their voices resonating across different song styles but all in all DULCIE are truly a band to keep an ear out for.
Catch them at their upcoming shows in Melbourne on April 14th at the Workers Club, April 16th at Sydney’s Bank Hotel and on April 22nd at Rosemount Hotel in Perth.
