If you’ve read my other review, you may already know about my undying love for UK alternative outfit, Daughter.
Since the release of The Wild Youth in 2011, it has been obvious that there’s something really unique about Daughter’s work and I haven’t been able to stop listening. In January of this year, the band blessed us with the release of the surprising and varied album, Not to Disappear. Although the album explores different instrumentation and vocal styles to anything Daughter has shown us before, the beautifully delicate, melancholy thread that runs through their work remains.
The band recently made their first appearance on KEXP since their 2012 visit.
Host Cheryl Waters, who possibly has the best job in the world, welcomes the band and commends them on the success of Not to Disappear. The band goes on to let us know that they will be using the opportunity to perform material from the new album exclusively. While I’m often impressed by good production, there’s something really special about a live performance that meets the same standard as what’s available on iTunes. The band’s presentation of New Ways, How, Numbers and Doing the Right Thing in studio at KEXP shows the band to be every bit as flawless live as they are when recorded.
Something else I really enjoyed about the clip was hearing the band members talk about the writing process. It’s refreshing to hear the band speak about the trepidation they feel in creating something new. Elena and Igor share about the perfectionism and thoughtfulness that precedes each of their releases, saying that they are the type of people who could be given years to complete a work and still finish late. On hearing this, gratitude seems like a natural response to Daughter for choosing to channel this into a pretty prolific career this far.
The trio are, of course, subtle performers and watching them perform their music in the KEXP studio is a beautifully intimate experience. You should definitely watch it.
