Seraphina Simone brings dreamy pop sounds to London headline show

Spilling with synth-driven, dreamy sounds, Seraphina Simone’s headline show at London’s Courtyard Theatre set the new standard for indie pop.

Following a string of appearances last year including a support set during Lo Moon’s residency at London’s Lexington and performances at Brighton’s Great Escape Festival and Get Together Festival, Seraphina Simone’s headline show at London’s Courtyard Theatre hinted at the otherworldly sounds to come from the artist’s second EP, which is set to land later this year.

In the midst of dreamy classics, which explore topics ranging from youthful infatuation to consumer culture and insecurities, were thrillingly promising new tunes imbued with the seductively transportative, nostalgic sonic character that has become the singer’s trademark since the release of her first single in 2020.

Accompanied by instrumentalists Rob Mawer and Sam Morris, Simone opened the show with her giddily synth-filled, reflective latest release, Blue Eyes, which overflowed with a bubbling high reminiscent of carefree, uninhibited infatuation.

Riding on the back of the same crush-inspired wooziness, the London artist followed with Lovesick, a youthful, upliftingly energetic dissection of the relatable highs and lows of being in love, which featured on the artist’s first EP, Milk Teeth.

Simone’s first single, Cherry<3, followed the upbeat track, bringing even greater lyrical depth to the set. Underscored by a steady beat, the track displayed the artist’s introspective maturity, as she merged glamorous, 80s-inspired sounds with gritty, vulnerable lyrics critiquing modern consumer culture and the ‘American dream’.

As the night progressed, Simone proved her uniquely wide-ranging musical capabilities, moving between instruments while oscillating between gentler tracks, including Skin, which features smooth, dreamy sounds overlaid with deliciously silky vocals, and more fast-paced danceable hits.

In addition to older song Sixteen, a stripped back rendition of Blue Devil showcased the astonishingly controlled, emotive vocals that help define Simone’s enticing sound, bringing the tightly packed crowd to an awe-driven, soundless attentiveness.

Energetic single Better Days was a crowd favourite, weaving together vibrant beat-packed sounds with reflective, yearning lyrics grappling with the breakdown of a relationship. The track, which received its debut play on BBC Radio 6 Music, marks a departure from Simone’s usual sound, yet remains anchored to the rest of her songs by her characteristic otherworldly synth explosions.

“Better Days is kind of more drum and bass-filled,” Simone told Crescendo in an interview earlier this year. “And it was because I was just listening to a lot of PinkPantheress and being like, ‘God, this is great’. And then, because of that, I went back and listened to the very first Mis-Teeq record, which I was too young to really appreciate at the time, but it’s so so good,” she continued.

“And it is such a departure from my usual stuff. I guess it was a bit of a challenge of like, can I make something that is in that sound world, that doesn't just sound like I've decided to lift a beat and shove it on a track because it's cool,” she explained.

Adding to the energy injected into the room by Better Days, an empowering new ode to wild, free-spirited women, named Wild, brought a dizzyingly enlivening sense of joy to the set with catchy vocals and a spiritful electric guitar solo.

The highlight of the night soon followed, as Simone took to the keyboard for a movingly well-arranged rendition of Liverpool. Opened by a haunting soundscape imbued with synthy swells and warm, simmering percussion, the track steadily burst into a colourful ballad before soaring into a slathering of captivating, minute-long improvised vocal runs.

Along with the other new tracks, Liverpool will feature on Simone’s upcoming EP, which is due to be released this year.

“I think the EP in general does have more of a maximalist, alternative pop sound, maybe slightly more so than the last one,” the singer told Crescendo earlier in January. “Liverpool was its own entity almost, it's more of a ballad. And then there's three other songs, which are all quite different to each other, but they all explore slightly different avenues of alternative pop,” she hinted.

Ushering in an invigoratingly explorative pop language supported by catchy, sweet soundscapes, Seraphina Simone is bringing new vibrancy and wisdom to the indie pop scene, bubbling with outstandingly empowering reflectiveness.

Photography by Emma Last.