Having built up a cult following over the last few years, Katie Crutchfield’s musical project Waxahatchee has finally come over to the UK in full live band mode – offering fans a chance to hear songs from her last two, critically lauded records. The first of these,  2020 breakthrough album Saint Cloud, marked a significant shift to the Waxahtchee sound, embracing Americana influences while departing from Crutchfield’s earlier, more intimate and stripped-back sound. The result was a critical triumph, and if not for a global pandemic, it potentially would have propelled Waxahatchee into the mainstream spotlight. Fast forward four years and follow up record Tigers Blood is more of the same alt-country winning formula. It is one of this year’s best records and yet more evidence of an artist in a richly confident vein of form. 

Crutchfield is obviously enjoying this incarnation of Waxahatchee – tonight’s set comprises songs solely from both these records with Tigers Blood opener 3 Sisters opening proceedings. The hint of a star which has been bubbling under since Saint Cloud can be seen right from the off. Crutchfield walks out and stands front of stage. With the spotlight on her she sings the opening more or less a capella whilst the band start to add musical layers. Just as the band kicks in properly, the cap is thrown into the crowd, a delightful moment that highlights her star appeal. 

The band manage to cram in around 20 songs into the hour and a half. A mixture of slow, sometimes delicate yet with a hard edge which acts as the set’s heartbeat mixed with a dash of up tempo songs highlighting an embrace for pop sensibilities. Crimes of the Heart is a case in point for the latter with its verse melody not out of place if  – whisper it – Taylor Swift had sung it. The brooding Oxbow follows up this with its concise drums and simple yet effective synth. Crutchfield’s vocal refrain of ‘I want it all’ near the end of the song offers perhaps some kind of aural prescience for her potential ambition. 

As enthralling as Crutchfield is, her band are also in fine form, creating a warm blanket of a sound to wrap around Crutchfield’s vocals. Nick Brockrath’s Pedal Steel reminds you we’re never too far from the midwest and sounds delightful in Problem With It – one of three ‘covers’ from Crutchfield’s 2022’s side project Plains  whilst that other staple of Americana – the banjo – ambles through Right Back To It like a raft down an Alambaman creek. Crutchfield’s guitar playing is also an integral part within the whole collective, switching from acoustic to electric though some of the set’s standout moments arguably occur when she puts down the instrument and sings solo. As with the aforementioned 3 Sisters and that glimpse of star power she highlighted, near the end of the set we get The Wolves which showcases Crutchfield mic in hand, confidently stalking the stage, engaging the crowd in a captivating performance. During the encore we get the beautiful torch song 365. Crutchfield’s stunning vocal delivery and control is spine tingling. All eyes in front to the very end, an audience left mesmerised.

Website: waxahatchee.com
Facebook: facebook.com/waxahatchee
Instagram: instagram.com/waxa_katie

Words and Image: Chris Horton