Emma Ogier x Hovvdy at Neumos

Guys, we need to talk about Texas. There’s something going on over there, maybe something in the water? I don’t know what it is, but it needs to be studied because there is some serious talent coming from that state. In my previous review, I got to see Orca and Love Spells, with both groups hailing from Texas, and they gave me one of the best shows that I have ever seen in my life. Days later at Neumos, I got treated to Emma Ogier and Hovvdy (pronounced “Howdy”), who are also from Texas.

Emma Ogier has so much buzz surrounding her that I had no choice but to see her when I found out she was coming to town. I can’t go an hour on Instagram without seeing a post from a music blog such as Pigeons and Planes mentioning that Dominic Fike endorsed her by collaborating with her. She is even followed and reposted by music mainstays such as Clairo, Ethel Cain, and Kevin Abstract. I think it is pretty wild that I heard who likes an artist’s music before even hearing the music for myself. From what I’ve heard from her, the buzz and excitement around her are warranted. She is capitalizing on this buzz by staying busy and opening for several big artists such as Hovvdy, Remi Wolf, and Whitney. Her sound is different from what I usually listen to, it’s like indie with a little bit of country twang, but it doesn’t have the same tone that country songs usually have.

Her set was pretty stripped down, with only a guitar and her brother, Aidan Ogier, who is also a solo artist, supporting her on backing vocals and guitar. Her performance was mostly carried by her unique voice, which commanded everyone’s attention. The performance was playful and cute, especially when Emma and Aidan exchanged glances and started laughing over something that may have just been an inside joke between the two siblings. Emma seems like a relaxed and down-to-earth person, talking to the audience between songs and making goofy jokes, such as when she stuck the mic out toward the audience to sing along to songs that aren’t even out yet. Speaking of songs that aren’t out yet, Emma only has a few songs officially released because she hasn’t put out her full project yet.

Her debut album Fly 1111, is set to be released on, yep, you guessed it, November 11th. The standout song from the performance, which had me entranced, was her big hit “Baby Don’t Hurt Me,” strummed over an acoustic guitar. The thing that makes Ogier stand out above other artists is her voice, it isn’t polished, and it has a twang to it, but that is what makes her songs feel much more vulnerable and real. It’s a beautiful voice. If she gives this type of performance as an opener, I cannot wait for her to come back to Seattle after she releases her debut album and eventually goes on a headlining tour. I’m very interested to see what venue she ends up in.

I’m going to be honest: I came to the show for Ogier and had no idea who Hovvdy was, but after their performance, I surely know who they are now, and I will never forget them. Also hailing from Texas, their music has a bit of country influence, using twangy guitars at times with a pop/indie sound mixed in. On tour for their latest album, Big World, Hovvdy is made up of two members, Charlie Martin and Will Taylor, from Austin, Texas. I got to admit, they have some dedicated fans because when they played the song “Jean,” the whole crowd was singing along word for word.

Will and Charlie often switched between lead and backing vocals depending on the song they were performing. The show was filled with a lot of energy and was very loud, with their entire set backed by a full band. While performing, they went all in on the music and didn’t leave much room for talking, but they stayed after the show to speak with all of their fans and sign all of the merch, even after performing a high-octane show, which is something that I always appreciate.

I enjoyed both artists’ performances immensely and walked away as a newfound fan of Hovvdy. I have the bank statement from buying all their merch to prove it. Though the energy of Ogier and Hovvdy was very different, they complemented each other through their Texas country-influenced music. If they come to your town, you have to drop everything you are doing and go see them because seeing these two acts together was worth more than the price of admission. It’s a straight-up steal, if you ask me.