As a former Tasmanian now living in Brisbane, it seems inevitable that the nostalgic pull of an artist from my hometown was always going to prove too good an opportunity to miss. Apparently I wasn’t the only one however, as there appeared to be many ex-residents of the Apple Isle making up the crowd for Héloise’s show at The Milk Factory on Wednesday. Here as part of her Nothin’ But The Bones EP Tour, she played with her band North, all of whom seemed surprisingly cheery despite the 20-hour drive it had taken them to get to Brisbane. With Freya Morgan and Candybomber as supports, the entire evening was truly a Tassie affair.

The night also served as the official release date of Héloise’s afore mentioned sophomore EP Nothin’ But The Bones, though at this stage she’s actually more in the middle of the tour. The intimate setting of The Milk Factory couldn’t have been a friendlier place for an artist rather far from home to launch her new music. There were some older songs too of course, in particular her earlier single Old Salt was a standout. She managed to include all six of the new EP tracks into the short set, all of which sound great with a full band behind her. Their expert musicianship added so many interesting layers to the blend of folk, blues and Americana that make up Héloise’s sound. There are some great instrumental solos throughout, though everyone’s focus remains entirely on the front woman at all times. She’s perfected the kind of western twang that conjures up all the classic clichés about grabbing a drink before riding off into the sunset somewhere in the deep south.

All in all it was exactly the kind of fun, intimate showcase that makes it worth getting out during the middle of the week. All present were grateful Héloise could make the trip up to perform the new tracks and I’m sure would gladly welcome her back in the future.

- Belle Armstrong