Hatchie Brings Dream Pop to Great Scott
By Katie Fielding and Ethan LamIn case you didn’t get the memo, the 90’s are in right now. Likewise, there has been a steadily growing dream pop and shoegaze revival in recent years, two closely associated genres that came to the forefront of alternative music around that time period. Hatchie, one of Australia's most promising up-and-coming indie acts, has been touted as one of the artists at the forefront of this revival. Harriette Pilbeam, the vocalist and bassist behind Hatchie, took the stage at Great Scott on September 5th, and showcased to a sold-out crowd why she’s one to watch.
Photo by Katie FieldingFollowing an opening set from Orchin (whose frontman did double duty as a guitarist for the rest of the night), Hatchie and her band took to the stage. Opening with her breakout song “Try,” off her 2018 Sugar & Spice EP, Hatchie showcased her airy vocals over romantic, glittery synths and guitar, recounting that all-too familiar uncertainty that comes with the start of a new relationship, and all the butterflies and adolescent awkwardness that accompany the process.Hatchie played through the EP’s title track as well as songs from her 2019 debut album, Keepsake. The audience casually swayed along to her ethereal strumming until the distorted chords of “Unwanted Guest” jolted the crowd into the world of rock and roll, proving Hatchie is more than just shimmery dream pop.
Photo by Ethan LamLater in the show, “Without A Blush”—released as a single in advance of Keepsake—proved to be a fan favorite. The crowd sang along to Hatchie’s confessions of self-doubt in a struggling relationship, each person responding to her honest and earnest lyrics with emotion of their own.Hatchie closed the show with “Sure,” her most successful release so far. The dim lights of Great Scott came up on stage, bathing the band in a warm glow. As Hatchie sang through the song, reflecting on the uncertainty of love, the audience sang back with her, a chorus of the question “Do you even think about me?”
Photo by Katie FieldingFollowing an opening set from Orchin (whose frontman did double duty as a guitarist for the rest of the night), Hatchie and her band took to the stage. Opening with her breakout song “Try,” off her 2018 Sugar & Spice EP, Hatchie showcased her airy vocals over romantic, glittery synths and guitar, recounting that all-too familiar uncertainty that comes with the start of a new relationship, and all the butterflies and adolescent awkwardness that accompany the process.Hatchie played through the EP’s title track as well as songs from her 2019 debut album, Keepsake. The audience casually swayed along to her ethereal strumming until the distorted chords of “Unwanted Guest” jolted the crowd into the world of rock and roll, proving Hatchie is more than just shimmery dream pop.Photo by Ethan LamLater in the show, “Without A Blush”—released as a single in advance of Keepsake—proved to be a fan favorite. The crowd sang along to Hatchie’s confessions of self-doubt in a struggling relationship, each person responding to her honest and earnest lyrics with emotion of their own.Hatchie closed the show with “Sure,” her most successful release so far. The dim lights of Great Scott came up on stage, bathing the band in a warm glow. As Hatchie sang through the song, reflecting on the uncertainty of love, the audience sang back with her, a chorus of the question “Do you even think about me?”