Hannah Joy from Middle Kids on Conan
Ever since Fairgrounds in Berry late last year, Middle Kids' Edge of Town has been a constant ear worm. I instantly fell in love with the rolling rhythms with country vibes, the at-times Malkmus-esque guitars, and that voice -- what a refreshing voice!
Although still very young as a band, their tracks have that special warm quality where you feel like you've known them for quite some time. Hannah's song writing is striking yet understated, and best of all it all sounds effortless. The band may be young but Hannah Joy and Tim Fitz have been kicking around in Sydney for quite some time now. Both established solo artists, it wasn't until they got together to co-create this thing they call Middle Kids, to really break out and get noticed by the likes Triple J and Sir Elton John!
When I heard they were playing at The OAF in April, I jumped at the chance to see them again. I'm now wondering whether the venue will be big enough for them after lighting up the stage on Conan earlier in the week as they prepare for a 5 week long tour of America.
The US tour officially kicks off on Tuesday in Seattle. It includes a KCRW showcase at SXSW in Austin an that is fantastic for them. Aside from the usual stops in SF, Seattle, NYC and the like, Middle Kids will also be playing in Nashville, Baton Rouge and Saxapahaw - That appeared a little weird until I realised that some of these dates are to support Cold War Kids.
Speaking of KCRW, just a few hours ago they appeared on Jason Bentley's legendary Morning Becomes Eclectic show and played a 40 minute-odd set in the LA studios. If you want to get a feel for the sound, I highly recommend you watch. Start from the 1:30 mark.