On Thursday night I was lucky enough to attend my first gig since February at the National Centre for Early Music in York featuring two ambient sets from Yorkshire-based artist, Elkyn and Liverpool-based artist, Fawn.

Settling into my allocated pod with two friends in the socially-distanced church yard, the unnatural gig setting is undeniably beautiful. Scarlet-tinted lights create a warm glow on the tree trunks as the first signs of autumn show themselves in amber leaves on the grass and the cool crispiness in the air. Dwarfed by the church tower and the trees, the crowd slowly begin to spill into the yard and fill up the empty-seated pods.

Half an hour after the gates open, Elkyn (Joseph Donnelly) takes their seat on the marquee-covered stage accompanied by their laptop and electric guitarist/backing vocalist, Charlotte Lynch. Following a quick introduction, they open the set with Beech EP opener ‘Seventeen’. Despite the busy sounds echoing from the city centre, the church yard falls silent. A tranquil atmosphere blankets the crowd as the delicately harmonised vocals and reverberated ambience provide our first fix of live music in months.

Following ‘Seventeen’, Elkyn performs an unreleased track, ‘I Don’t Know The Way From Here’, which features ambient synth pads beneath the two guitars and the pairs textured harmonies, complimenting both each other and the surroundings. As the song continues, Elkyn seems to delve deeper and deeper into the music, gently travelling into their own little world as the melodies pour out.

With a level of elation still travelling through the outdoor venue, we hear new track ‘Change’. Starting with a fingerpicked guitar, Elkyn’s dreamy vocals hold the crowds full attention as we follow the endearing narrative of the new song, which soon leads into the second and more familiar, Beech EP track, ‘Yue’. Despite the fact there’s only the pair on stage, the sound is impressively full and holds a warming and comforting aura within it.

After a tune-up and a quick merch promo (linked below), the pair play ‘Something’, where Lynch’s backing, though flawless throughout the set, sound especially ethereal here. The pairs harmonious vocals become more endearing throughout the set, painting a beautifully flowing stream of sound for the audience to indulge upon.

A stripped back version of the Beech EP’s closing track, ‘Stupid World’ is next in the set list. If the original track wasn’t emotive enough, the more ambient take on the music is one that really leaves a strain in your chest (only to be briefly disturbed a dump truck emptying what sounds like fifty tonnes of glass bottles right outside the venue). Elkyn humbly laughs it off and continues with the song, captivating the audience once again with their incredibly delicate sound.

After shyly thanking the audience and event organisers and then having one last giggle with everyone about the untimely bottles, Elkyn closes the set with another unreleased track, ‘You’re The Only One’. As the darkness of the evening creeps in, the track closes both the daylight and the set perfectly, capturing a melancholic yet, nostalgic aura that truly feels like a ‘goodbye’.

After a short turn around and entering the night’s darkness, Fawn (pet project of singer/songwriter Ilana Zsigmond) take their place on the stage. Usually fronting a full band, Zsigmond is joined only by her acoustic guitar and fellow guitarist/backing vocalist Crispin Halcrow. Zsigmond shows her enthusiasm from the off, explaining to the audience that after months without a gig that, “this is the happiest you’ll ever see a musician”.

Opening their set with ‘Breathe In’, Zsigmond’s strong, smoky vocals and Halcrow’s smooth riffs effortlessly contribute to the warmth of the yard’s atmosphere. The catchy hooks prove to resonate with the audience, with swaying heads and humming voices accompanying the track.

Introducing ‘I Know Nothing’ with the story behind its lyrics, the track about making mistakes over and over as a young adult holds a relatable amount wittiness in its lyrics as members of the audience are seen nodding their heads in agreement with the songs content.

Already proving herself as a wonderful storyteller, Zsigmond walks us through the tales behind ‘Burden’ and ‘Solid Ground’. Though the songs are truly emotive, the control and inflections Zsigmond uses in her performance are seamless- differing slightly from her recorded versions, we see Zsigmond surrender to the music and make the live experience a true art form. 

The crowd’s cheers begin to grow from people surrounding the open-air venue as ‘Romans and Vikings and Knights’ begins. With Halcrow’s silky melodies accompanying the acoustic guitar and vocals, the song paying homage to York’s notorious floods has the crowd mesmerised by the beauty of the song’s lyrics, connecting us as one with each other and the city’s past residents.

Sleeping Giant is the penultimate track in Fawn’s setlist, and in her true captivating fashion, Zsigmond tells us of a mountain range in America where according to legend, it’s in fact mythical god who was sent down to earth who now sleeps on its surface. The reminiscent lyrics for her truly seem to take Zsigmond back to the mountain- with eyes closed and a smile on her face, the feeling surrounding the precious memories in her voice are projected into the audience.

With the crowd now full of a warm nostalgia, Fawn introduce their last song. Before the music starts, we hear an outside listener shout over the wall “we can’t see you, but you sound beautiful!” with an older woman shouting in agreement from the opposite end. Feeling touched and slightly emotional, Fawn close their set with ‘Connecticut River’. Whether it’s the additional compliments or the song’s meaningful content, the emotion radiated through the piece is phenomenal. The harmonies throughout the music slide amongst each other like silk and the energy coming from Zsigmond’s vocals is truly hypnotic. The song comes to a climactic end and Fawn say their final goodbyes to a fulfilled audience and newly converted fans.

This gig was certainly one I had highly anticipated for a while but the quality of the sound, the artists and the atmosphere were all undeniably perfect. The warmth and emotion delivered by both acts is the fulfilment we were all desperate for throughout this year, and having finally experienced it, the crowd have nothing but smiles and serenity on their faces.

If you’re lucky as me and ever get the opportunity to attend an Elkyn or a Fawn gig then please go and support these amazing artists. In the meantime, you can check out their socials and stream their music below.

ELKYN

Music: https://distribute.avid.com/smartlink.cfm?MTAwMDAwMzE4MDYy&fbclid=IwAR0Yu0kCfJDKJAYfkM6cV9q9c3ENuIMUbljIIPROTfVXbDmAGdDrnwaQWRw

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Elkynband/

Instagram: @elkyn_music_

Merch: https://elkyn.bandcamp.com/merch

FAWN

Music: https://open.spotify.com/album/6F0IlXWoKvO6YOS1v7PIhF?highlight=spotify:track:7HOTm58hiTnCjpSJq4OvJs

Bandcamp: https://fawnuk.bandcamp.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fawnuk/

Instagram: @notafawn