I first heard of Seafret about a year ago. I was scrolling through Facebook and saw a sponsored ad. It said something along the lines of, ‘If you’re a fan of Hozier or Kodaline, then you’ll love Seafret! Click here to download a FREE track!’. Never mind the fact that I was in fact a huge fan of both Hozier and Kodaline, but any chance to try new music for free and I’m hooked. I followed the link and downloaded a track called ‘Down In A Hole’. It was so hauntingly beautiful, it had me loving the band immediately.
Fast forward a year, and I was given the chance to see them perform live at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds. Having met them beforehand to interview them, and seeing what lovely and down-to-earth guys they were, I was even more excited.
Seafret had two support acts: Brodie Milner and Martin Luke Brown. Brodie Milner began, and captured the audience in a way I hadn’t seen before. Everyone was sitting on the floor of the venue and letting his voice float over them. With a gravelly voice similar to that of George Ezra’s, his heartfelt songs were a lovely start to the evening. Following Brodie came Martin Luke Brown, whose songs reminded me of a young Justin Timberlake. Martin got everyone up and tapping their feet to his soulful love songs. His interaction with the audience was also appreciated (especially when he revealed that one of his songs that certainly appeared to be another love song, was actually about global warming!) With just his voice and a keyboard, it sounded like a full band was behind him.
Then, of course, Seafret. The thing that stood out most for me throughout their set was their relationship with the audience. From their first song, ‘Wildfire’, the audience was captivated, and were kept captivated by Jack’s little quips in between songs, and Harry’s solid stage presence.
Despite being a band that has already had admirable success this year with their single ‘Oceans’ and more recently, ‘Give Me Something’, they are so humble and exhibit that down to earth presence I’d seen in our interview on stage. Having only released a couple of EPs so far, I hadn’t heard a few of the songs, but that didn’t make them any less contagious. The whole room were charmed by the honest lyrics and soothing melodies of Seafret’s performance.
The highlight of the gig for most, I’m sure, was when they played ‘Oceans’. This is the song that people think of when they think of the band, and it did not disappoint. Jack’s vocals were as crisp and precise as they are on the track, and Harry’s talent on guitar was not missed either. Furthermore, the chemistry between the two on stage was so strong that it made every performance a pleasure to watch.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8INOzcCGBzY]
Finishing with their energetic and passionate song ‘Be There,’ the audience was putty in their hands – myself included. The lyrics are simplistic but in the most heartfelt and touching way. There was no chance they weren’t going to be called back for an encore. After a roar of love from the audience, Jack introduced their final song as the one that he played at his sister’s wedding – ‘To The Sea’. Listening to this song after the excitement and passion behind each song before it was like being tucked into bed after the best night out. It was comforting, and warm, and made me fall in love with Seafret for the hundredth time that evening. The perfect end to a fantastic gig.
Having already worked with the likes of Hozier, and soon Kodaline, Seafret have had a great year so far. With their debut album arriving on 28th January 2016, they’re definitely going to be one to watch next year. Seafret are on the up, and after seeing them live, there’s no guessing why.
Don’t forget to check out our interview with Seafret too!
Are you a fan of Seafret? Have you seen them live? Let us know in the comments below!
