Our Girl's 'The Good Kind' Live at YES Pink Room
On Wednesday 27th, my friend and I saw the Brighton-formed band Our Girl perform at YES Pink Room in Manchester. The band consists of Soph Nathan (guitarist/vocalist), Josh Tyler (bassist), and Lauren Wilson (drummer).
Our Girl launched their music career with their debut singles, Sleeper/Level, in 2015, releasing their first album, Stranger Today, in 2018 and returning after a hiatus with their 2024 album, The Good Kind. Compared to their earlier work, the band has taken a more mature approach to the themes in their songs, complimented well by the more polished and clean production of their new album. They explore relationships (in 'Relief') and sexuality (in 'Something About Me Being A Woman'), with an overarching theme of emotional strength and optimism that contrast against the more angsty song lyrics of previous albums like Stranger Today. Wilson stated that The Good Kind felt more “confident” to her, adding that it feels “a lot more considered” given the time and space they had to write it. Considered is the perfect word for it - everything from the songwriting to the sound to the production, the album is sleeker and signifies the band’s growth and maturity whilst maintaining their signature indie-pop sound that is akin to that of bands like Wolf Alice.
Now, onto the gig… The evening started shakily. We began our night in the Garratt, getting their infamous two double vodkas and energy drinks for a fiver (I still genuinely don’t understand how they make money off of this). The energy drink mixer was needed, feeling somewhat depleted from a pretty hectic few days of work, we needed the boost. Arriving at YES, I realised I’d left my phone at the pub… already pushing it for time, we sped-walked back to get it, and thankfully it hadn’t been nicked. We headed down to YES Basement, where we had originally thought Our Girl was performing. The first clue we were wrong - our names weren’t on the guest list. We were let in anyway, where we saw People Person, an up-and-coming Manchester-based band, perform. Clue number two that we were in the wrong venue - People Person’s sound was closer to the grittier indie-rock sounds of Fontaines DC (the lead singer even shook his tambourine like Grian Chatten) than the softer indie-pop sound of Our Girl. When we realised we were in the wrong place, we rushed up to YES Pink Room just in time to get towards the front of the crowd for the now much anticipated Our Girl performance. I must say, though, watching People Person perform was great! They had incredible stage presence, and their songs were well-written and well-executed - they are a band I will be looking out for in the future.
Side note: YES Pink Room is a great venue for smaller bands - its size makes it feel more intimate, and I just love the pink from walls to ceiling in general, it gives the room a warming cosiness.
The band’s stage set-up immediately caught my attention. Being a band of three, there will inevitably be one member in the centre and from what I’ve usually seen, this is often the main vocalist. But Our Girl placed Wilson, the drummer, at the centre. I loved this - it brought attention to her insane talent and reminded the audience of the importance of the role of drummer in a band - an often overlooked position. After all, they are the rhythmic foundation of the group. Her incredibly sweet and polite voice when talking was heavily contrasted against the harsher sounds that emanated from her drum set. Her use of not only wooden sticks but also a dampener (I think that’s what it’s called; apologies if I’m wrong) in 'Absences' created a depth and hollowness to their music that was utterly atmospheric.
Our Girl were captivating to watch. You could truly feel the band's passion from the way that they performed - it was at points incredibly uplifting and at others heartfelt and emotional. The way they could soar between these emotions is impressive, taking the audience with them on their journey. Even in the ways the band interacted with each other on stage, it was captivating. At any point that one of the band members had a solo moment, the others would face them, not only giving that member the attention they deserve but also showcasing the close-knit and supportive relationships that have been formed in the band. It is so important in a band to let all members have their moments to shine, and Our Girl does so effortlessly.
Nathan’s vocals were beyond impressive, almost indecipherable from the recorded album. Her interaction with the audience made the already intimate gig feel even more personal - her casualness felt like a friend rather than an artist to look up to.
Their mix of both new songs off of The Good Kind and their older songs mixed well together and show that despite their musical progression as a band over the years, their sound has stayed consistent. Crowd pleasers like ‘I Really Like It’ and ‘Being Around’ did great jobs at getting the audience moving. The guy standing in front of me was having the time of his life. An obvious mega-fan, clad in Our Girl merch, singing and dancing to every song. Their more introspective and sombre songs captivated the audience, drawing attention to the band's incredible musical talent and leaving a lasting impression.
Overall, I found Our Girl were great performers and very talented musicians. I'm so glad I had the chance to see them live because, as I said in my Magdalena Bay gig review, sometimes seeing an artist live can really transform how you view them. This has happened to me for Our Girl - I left the gig a fan. So… I strongly suggest, if you haven’t yet, give Our Girl a listen!
