Kendell Marvel got his start as a songwriter, writing hits for the likes of Brothers Osborne, Jake Owen, Gary Allan, Chris Stapleton and Blake Shelton – and winning Grammys along the way – before releasing his first solo album ‘Lowdown and Lonesome’ in 2017. Since then he’s wowed audiences on both sides of the pond with his musicianship and distinctive vocals. Now, ahead of the September release of his new record, ‘Come On Sunshine’ – the follow-up to 2019’s ‘Solid Gold Sounds’ – he’s back in the UK for his debut overseas headline show at the Lexington in London.
Arriving on stage around 9.15 with his acoustic guitar, Marvel kicked off his set with ‘If You Know What’s Good’ from ‘Solid Gold Sounds’. Even without his band – whom he repeatedly promised to bring over next time he’s here – he delivered the song’s stomping, funky melody with aplomb and his deep, gravelly tones filled the room. The audience whooped and hollered their approval as he came to the end of the song and it set the tone for a great evening of music.
Throughout the set Marvel was incredibly warm and engaging, regularly cracking jokes and chatting to the enthusiastic crowd – who clapped, sang and danced along for the whole show (and even bought him a few tequila shots!) – and talking about everything from the ongoing heatwave to his journey as a songwriter and his relationship with fans in the UK. It’s clear he really enjoys playing to audiences here and he held them all in the palm of his hand throughout the show.
With the new album just a few months away from release, Marvel took the opportunity to showcase some unreleased tracks. ‘Dyin’ Isn’t Cheap’ – previously cut by Cody Jinks – was packed full of lyrical details and highlighted Marvel’s guitar-playing skills, whilst ‘Hell Bent On Hard Times’ (out this Friday) provided an introspective moment and enabled Marvel’s rich tones to shine through. Meanwhile, hopeful title track ‘Come On Sunshine’ and the dark, dramatic current single ‘Put The Money In The Plate’ – calling out hypocritical televangelists – showed just how diverse he is as a musician. They provided a great preview of the new record and personally now I can’t wait to hear the rest of it!
That said, there was plenty of room for old favourites too. The atmospheric ‘Hard Time With The Truth’ provided an early highlight, with Marvel providing just as much drama with his guitar as in the piano-led studio version, while ‘Tryin’ Not To Love You’ paired a lively, rattling rhythm with bittersweet lyrics about failing to outrun a lover’s memory. Elsewhere, the driving ‘Heartache Off My Back’ highlighted the edge in Marvel’s voice and ‘Gypsy Woman’ showed off his mellow, soulful side, as well as some big soaring notes.
We were also treated to the huge range of Marvel’s talents as a songwriter, with his set liberally peppered with tracks he’d written for Chris Stapleton in particular. ‘Untangle My Mind’, which Marvel recorded a version of for ‘Lowdown and Lonesome’, had a rollicking barroom band feel, whilst ‘Hard Livin” took on more of a rocky vibe with Marvel truly making it his own. The standout for me though was his take on ‘Either Way’, which showed off the sheer power in his voice and was full of emotion. He also threw in a sparse, cinematic take on ‘That Lonesome Song’ – originally cut by Jamey Johnson – which was full of his trademark vivid imagery, and a fiery rendition of ‘Right Where I Need To Be’ (recorded by Gary Allan) which sounded just as fresh as it did when Marvel wrote it almost 25 years ago.
Marvel closed the main portion of his set with ‘Lowdown And Lonesome’. After loud demands from the audience for ‘one more song!’, he obliged with ‘Keep Doing Your Thing’, a track from his upcoming record. The song’s catchy chorus had the crowd singing along by verse two and he delivered the message of being true to yourself with a strong sense of passion and defiance. The audience burst into cheers and applause he finished and he looked incredibly touched by their support. Afterwards he could be spotted by the merch stand chatting and laughing with fans as he signed their tickets and CDs.
Overall Kendell Marvel delivered a fantastic performance that showed off not only his songwriting chops but also his vocal talents and musicianship. He really does have an incredible skill for blending country and rock elements, along with lyrics that bring his characters and their worlds to life and an unmistakeable tone that enhances the depths of his writing. The new tracks showed that there’s going to be plenty of range on his upcoming album, but without changing the things we know and love about his music, and he showed that he’s got fantastic stage presence throughout. I’m really looking forward to hearing more from him and hope he’ll be back soon to show us more of what he’s got – next time with the band in tow…
Set list: 1. If You Know What’s Good 2. Untangle My Mind 3. Heartache Off My Back 4. Dyin’ Isn’t Cheap 5. Tryin’ Not To Love You 6. Hard Time With The Truth 7. Hell Bent On Hard Times 8. Hard Livin’ (made famous by Chris Stapleton) 9. That Lonesome Song (made famous by Jamey Johnson) 10. Either Way (made famous by Chris Stapleton) 11. Right Where I Need To Be (made famous by Gary Allan) 12. Come On Sunshine 13. Put It In The Plate 14. Gypsy Woman 15. I’ve Got A Feeling (Beatles cover) 16. Lowdown And Lonesome 17. Keep Doing Your Thing Performance date: 13th July 2022
Kendell Marvel’s new album, ‘Come On Sunshine’, is out on 23rd September 2022.
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