Where once most young singer-songwriters had no choice but to cut their teeth playing the toilet circuit, nowadays it’s as viable a route to build a fanbase online first and then work out your live act.
In this respect, Claire “Clairo” Cottrill is very much representative of a new breed of bedroom-pop superstars, having rocketed to fame via YouTube back in 2017. It’s not surprising, then, that the 21-year-old feels she’s still finding her feet as a frontwoman, telling the Evening Standard earlier this year: “How do I become a performer? It’s so hard!”
Certainly, the Massachusetts-based singer doesn’t possess the infectious energy of Billie Eilish live nor the breezy pop polish of Rex Orange County but at Shepherd’s Bush Empire she showed herself to be as valid an idol. Setting the tone with serene set-opener Alewife — taken from August’s quite astounding debut, Immunity — it was a natural performance from a quietly understated talent.
With very little between-song chat, and movements mostly confined to playing guitar or pacing the stage, mic in hand, there were minimal distractions from Cottrill’s gently melismatic vocals. On Softly they soared over a clipped guitar riff and hip-hop beats, while brilliantly melancholic single Bags found her sounding thoroughly beaten down.
Throughout Cottrill cultivated an atmosphere of closeness that captivated her very enthusiastic fans. Here’s hoping that intimacy is scalable to the arenas she has booked for next year.
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