Sophie Mashlan wowed the room last night at Room Twenty5, an intimate house concert venue near Nelson. Her talent was immediately evident with her rich, resonant voice commanding attention, complemented beautifully by her accomplished finger-style guitar playing.
At only 19 years old, Mashlan has already achieved a quality of songwriting and professionalism that would be the envy of many performers double her age. It was truly a privilege to see her at this stage in her a career, just on the cusp of greatness.
Mashlan is touring her debut album Perfect Disaster with yesterday's flight cancellations nearly living up to the name. A determined Mashlan was not about to let fog get in her way however and flying from Auckland to Christchurch and then driving to Nelson to arrive in time for her concert - a sure sign that she is indeed a class act in every sense.
Let You Down opened the set, showcasing Mashlan's vocal range - think Joni Mitchell or Julia Deans and you'll get a sense of the tonality and purity that Mashlan has at her disposal. Not This Time told the story of a person who had wronged Mashlan and was not about to get a second chance (especially, as Mashlan revealed, because she had already told her Mum about their poor behaviour). Pictures was absolutely lovely and revealed that Mashlan is a wordsmith of no small skill with an eye for observational detail that stands her in good stead. 17 Days and Perfect Disaster were also highlights of her polished performance.
Mashlan's 9-song set was rich and resonant with her left-handed Taylor guitars providing a sound quality to match her vocals. Perfect Disaster has made a strong debut on the charts and if this concert was anything to go by Mashlan's debut will in fact be a perfect triumph.
(Congratulations to Geoff and Sheree Sherlock for providing a wonderful house concert space for touring and local acts to perform. The music scene is enriched by people like them who open their homes in support of Kiwi music and musicians).
19-year-old Sophie Mashlan is still a fresh face in the New Zealand folk scene but has been rapidly gaining attention for her enchanting performances and evocative songs.
Primarily taking influence from the folk genre, she is forging her own sound, with a mixture of elements from pop, country and alternative.
Sophie is an avid performer, opening for major artists including Vance Joy, Graham Candy and Joshua Radin.