In the Garden music video, Maria Somerville drives along a country road at night. Images of floodlit trees, a white horse and an ominous figure flicker throughout; I can’t help but think of Twin Peaks. I was eager to discover whether that same atmosphere would translate to a live setting in Cardiff, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Absent of striking visuals and flashing lights, though, Somerville lets the music do all the heavy lifting. On Garden itself, which opens the set, she stands a still silhouette, the only movement the incessant, hypnotic strumming of her electric guitar.
There’s something unassuming yet alluring about Maria Somerville onstage. The Irish musician dons a cardigan and bootcut jeans, but the backlit stage casts her in shadow, drawing us in somewhat. And that’s before she even sings. When she does, her vocals are breathtaking, at times barely above a whisper, yet brimming with emotion.
This is particularly evident during the stripped-back Corrib. “I wanted to hold you,” Somerville sings, her voice gaining clarity and stepping into the foreground. Until this moment, her vocals had blended into the ambience rather than taking centre stage. I was equally struck by how Somerville transforms the softer, airy textures of her 2025 album Luster into something more visceral live. The ambient, shoegaze-inspired record feels contemplative in comparison to the grittier punch of its live counterpart.
Songs frequently ended in long and grungy waves of distortion, leaving the crowd unsure of the right time to applaud. I was particularly grateful for the venue’s courtesy earplugs during one crescendoing passage, when Somerville turned toward her drummer and bass player, leading to a subtle but touching moment of camaraderie. Only as the moment reached its apex did she turn back to face the audience, this time alone with her instrument.
Nearing the end of set closer All My People, Somerville continued to sing while leaning away from the mic, eyes closed, as if suspended in some distant dream. It became clear that just as she builds visual worlds in her recorded work, she’s able to take us there live, too.
Maria Somerville, Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, Thurs 19 Feb
words RHYS JAMES photos CHLOE JACKSON-NOTT
