The Louisiana, Bristol, GB
Saturday, 7 December 2024
7:30pm
£12.50 + BF
16+ (under 18s to be accompanied by a responsible adult)
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Lexie Carroll live at The Louisiana, Bristol. Saturday, 7th December 2024
Nineteen year old singer-songwriter from London Lexie Carroll is emotionally intelligent beyond her years. Composed of a dainty mix of melancholic indie, folk and pop, inspired by the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, Bon Iver and Aurora, her songs are an intimate look into the inner workings of her mind as she transitions from a girl to a young woman, dancing between a hopeful joy and wistfulness throughout her repertoire.
'You look lovely when you’re living' is a title that speaks for itself. For Lexie, life has been on pause for a long while. From battling with her mental health, to her vital adolescent developmental years being ripped out from underneath her by the grips of the pandemic, she shares that she “barely remembers” life before, but coming out the other side of it all has given her a new lust for life. “I’ve felt like I’m experiencing so much, so strongly, for the first time.” She’s embarked on a journey of accepting and celebrating all the feelings that come with being alive, and has come to realise there’s magic and joy in the ordinary.
The EP was predominantly made with a helping hand from Jack Hardman (Good Dog, Luke Sital-Singh, Charlie Bennett). The two are no stranger to one another, having previously worked on a number of songs on Lexie’s discography. Lexie jokes, “We always have so much fun, but once we got meal deals and he ate my pineapple.”
The seven track offering promises to be even more personal than previous bodies of work. She comments that whilst the topics embody a thematic familiarity, she’s adopted a wider perspective in this release, stating, “as you get older things are much less black and white.”
Opening track ‘Sunflood’ - her favourite song on the EP - is inspired by a specific memory of lazing in a park with friends last summer. “It reminded me of being younger and having no concept of time or responsibility, nothing to do but just be...you don’t have to be doing anything crazy, just something as simple as humans sitting enjoying the sun is so special.”
As with many coming of age stories, romance somewhat takes a forefront. ‘It’s Been A While’ talks about the one that got away and ponders if it is possible to be just friends. While ‘Laundry Detergent’ skips away from the heartache and collapses into the all encompassing, awkwardly sweet feeling of beginning to fall for someone.
‘Evelyn’, initially written as an innocent dedication to her adoration for the name, evolved into a pleading anecdote to a fictitious loved one who has spiralled into a crisis after making a series of questionable decisions.
Wearing her heart on her sleeve, Lexie explores darker avenues than previously ventured, opening up about her struggle with anorexia on ‘If You Were A Ghost’. “It does feel like a ghost in my brain that’s a completely separate entity from me” she says, “but every once in a while likes to pipe up.” It simultaneously acts as a cautionary tale about letting the wrong people or things into your life when you know you should abstain.
Opening for James Marriott on his UK tour was a great feat for Lexie, however, an illness in the team meant that the Scotland dates were cancelled. Thus, ‘We Never Made It To Glasgow’ was born. “Instead, I went to my good friend and collaborator Jack’s place and wrote this song! Though the line stemmed from the tour, the song is more so about being a Written by Katie Ashton.
"Bit stupid on an adventure with somebody.” She admits, “I think it feels like snippets of a confusing, slightly awkward but very fun drunken memory.”
Ending on a heart wrenching note is the tear jerking ‘Florist’. An ode to a friend tragically lost too soon, Lexie dedicates the EP closing track to the life she thinks her friend would’ve had. “I like imagining her older having a really peaceful life, like being a florist.”
Delightfully delicate, nostalgic and hopeful you look lovely when you’re living cements Lexie Carroll as a connoisseur of reflective and bittersweet indie. Graceful but determined, she is a force to be reckoned with.
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A jack of all trades, she is currently studying Psychology at university, but also pours her heart and soul into all aspects of her art. Not just a songwriter, she also creates all of her designs for merchandise, single & EP artworks and posters.
She has a string of impressive live performances under her belt, having sold out a headline show at London’s OMEARA last October, has supported Adam Melchor, Matilda Mann, Tom Odell, Wasia Project and flowerovlove, as well as playing at Reading & Leeds, All Points East and The Great Escape. Last year saw her collaborate with Alfie Jukes on ‘Slow Lane’ and receive acclaim from BBC Radio 1, where her single ‘Violet’ made the station’s introducing playlist.
Show starts at 7:30pm.
