Saturday night at the The Milk Factory saw an all female vocalist support for the Brisbane launch of Kate Heart’s debut self titled EP. The former home to West End live music institution The Joynt provided the perfect feature for the Brisbane leg of Kate Hearts EP tour, drawing centrally her many fans, family, friends, Pozible supporters from the far reaches of Queensland and beyond, as well as Factory locals.

With a belly full of the kitchen’s delicious Pork Belly sliders (hot tip!), punters settled in the first support, Lauren Napier. Attendees waiting with baited breath for the headliner were given an amazing performance, displaying her powerful voice and stunning vocal range weaving through the acoustic set.  This Gold Coastian songstress set the mood with a powerful fusion of soul and pop, hinting occasionally at a love for R&B in her bevy of original tracks, closing with a well received and resonating version of  the cathartic “Lost” , the perfect segue to the headliner following.  Hot with anticipation and enthusiasm, the crowd packed in tightly to hear the crescendo to months of campaigning and hard work by this talented songstress.

Extrapolating her origins into a polished inspiring concord and engaging stage presence, Kate navigated through her EP, presenting the crowd with a tight polished set that enchanted the balmy packed room. Palpable optimism and soulful wonder exudes from Kate’s inspirational euphonious lyrics, engaging with the audience and sharing their pre-natal and everyday life origins. The crowd was as diverse as it was responsive to Kate’s crooning crescendos of the unreleased Big Love, along with a welcomed, yet stripped-back cover of Delerium’s “Silence”; a tip of the cap to the performers love for electronica, had some punters miming in each bar’s stride.  Finishing the set with “You Make Me” pays reverence to her partner in love and life, andfrom the rapturous acclamation …the whole room agreed we all ♥, Kate Heart.

Closing out the night was the prolific and inimitable Ella Fence, the perfect artist to follow Kate’s amazing performance. Opening with the accapella “Barricade” immediately had the indie-darlings cooing over Ella’s seducing emotive voice; dulcet sadcore meets sanguine noir.  Familiar to some Factory regulars, Ella’s acoustic set hypnotised more fans-to-be with her striking voice and original lyricism, teasing us with a promise to return next time in full band mode.

Dane Curtis