“There’s no point in running from yourself cause when you wake up in the morning, you’re still you,” spoken like a true blues singer. Aidan D. Cooney croons over the quiet crowd. “My job is to get you into a melancholy state and then the Falls will kick you over the edge.”
The iconic Hollywood Hotel, with it’s eternally spinning disco ball, RSL-themed carpet and classic charm is the perfect venue for a rainy Thursday night of blues, roots and everything in between. Though it’s not all melancholy. After two years rambling across the U.S of A. the prodigal son and daughter (Simon Rudston-Brown and Melinda Kirwin) of Falls, have returned to where it all began. They are welcomed back with very open arms.
“Mark and Doris at the Hollywood were the first people that took a chance on us,” explains a grateful Merlinda. “We ended up playing here every night for almost two years.” She’s already kicked her boots off, bouncing on bare feet and feeling right at home. “It’s where we wrote so many of the songs for our first EP Hollywood, so we thought we’d come back and play some of our new songs here too.”
Without further ado, they tuck into a run of tracks off their upcoming debut album Omaha set for release in early October. Inspired by their travels, these are songs of the road and the heart. Both of them sing with such expression, as if the stories behind the lyrics are being told for the first time, every time.
They mix up things up with some good old-fashioned folk off Hollywood. It’s the kind of crowd who know the words, especially to Home, where everyone joins in for a cheeky chorus.
Having spent some serious time in Nashville, that warm country tone has bled into tracks like Nothing Ever Comes My Way, Independence Day and When We Were Young. While this new sound is slightly bolder than their EP, it’s only a very subtle shift in direction and one that perfectly accommodates Kirwin’s haunting vocals. The Falls harmonies game is seriously next-level.
It’s back to the early tracks to wrap up the evening with Into The Fire and Hollywood – bringing the evening to a fitting close. There’s no doubt in my mind that come October and the release of Omaha, and yet another US tour on the horizon, this leading lady and gent will be hitting the big time in no time.
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Listen: Falls – Let In The Light
