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Tenille Townes, Scala, London review

Since her first visit to the UK back in 2019, Tenille Townes has carved out a reputation for herself as one of the genre’s rising stars. With distinctive vocals, a talent for lyrics and an infectious stage presence, she’s won over plenty of fans both here and in her native Canada. Now, after a triumphant performance at C2C back in March, she’s back here for her first UK headlining tour, including a sold-out show last night at London’s legendary Scala.

Arriving on stage around 8.45 PM and carrying her trademark sunburst guitar, Townes opened her set with a solo acoustic performance of ‘Where You Are’, from her 2020 album ‘The Lemonade Stand’. Her distinctive vocals really filled the space of the venue and she could be seen gazing around the room in wonder, almost as if she couldn’t quite believe what was happening. It was a bold move to kick off her 90-minute set with and the crowd’s approval as she came to the end of the song showed that it had certainly paid off for her.

One thing which stood out to me throughout Townes’ performance was how easily she’s able to switch between different musical styles. Whether that was the classic rock of ‘White Horse’, the funky ‘Come As You Are’ or the hopeful, pop-influenced ‘When’s It Gonna Happen’ with its big singalong chorus, she showed that her versatility is one of her biggest strengths as an artist. She also had great energy on stage, tossing her hair around and jamming out with her guitarist and drummer throughout the set, particularly on the likes of ‘Girl Who Didn’t Care’ – an upbeat yet nostalgic ode to the freedom of childhood – and ‘Holding Out For The One’, which she mashed up with Sheryl Crowe’s ‘Steve McQueen’. Elsewhere, current single ‘The Last Time’ had a lovely wistful quality about it, ‘Same Road Home’ provided a moment of hope and a reminder that we’re not alone, and her version of Alanis Morrissette’s 90s classic ‘Ironic’ had a really fun, playful feel that I just loved.

However, one area I felt Townes particularly shone in was the ballads. ‘Jersey On The Wall’ was an early highlight, with Townes herself being visibly moved as she told the story behind the song, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house by the end of the emotional number. Elsewhere, her solo acoustic version of ‘When I Meet My Maker’ – which she dedicated to her beloved great-grandmother – was beautifully moving, and ‘When You Need It’ (featuring a guest appearance by The Shires’ Ben Earls) provided a lovely moment of warmth and reflection on the power of being there for the ones you love. The big standout for me was ‘I Kept The Roses’, which brought out the huskier side of Townes’ vocals and saw her hitting some epic high notes!

After performing her version of Melissa Etheridge’s ‘I’m The Only One’, Townes closed her set with her signature song, ‘Somebody’s Daughter’. Personally I thought it really highlighted the quality in her voice as she went from sweetness on the chorus to showing the power and belt she has on the bridge, and the crowd singing along (as they’d been doing all night) added to its anthemic feel. The room burst into raucous cheers and applause as she brought it to a close, looking visibly blown away by their response, and she obliged their demands for an encore with a stunning solo acoustic rendition of Etta James’s ‘At Last’.

Overall I thought Tenille Townes delivered a fantastic set that showed just why she’s come to be so loved by audiences in the UK – and the feeling is very much mutual. She has such an incredible stage presence that you can’t take your eyes off her, whether she’s rocking out spinning around the stage or performing a heartbreaking ballad, and she also had great warmth and humour in her storytelling (including her tale of how the chef from her hotel in Penrith drove her and her band to Bristol and then London!). Throw in her unique vocals, great musicianship and skill as a songwriter, and it all added up to one brilliant evening. She promised that “we’ll keep coming back if you’ll keep coming back”, and based on the strength of last night’s show I think it’s safe to say that shouldn’t be too long in coming.

Set list: 1. Where You Are 2. White Horse 3. Come As You Are 4. Jersey On The Wall (I’m Just Asking) 5. Ironic (Alanis Morrissette cover) 6. Same Road Home 7. The Last Time 8. When’s It Gonna Happen 9. When I Meet My Maker 10. When You Need It (with Ben Earls) 11. I Kept The Roses 12. Back To Life 13. Girl Who Didn’t Care 14. Holding Out For The One/Steve McQueen (Sheryl Crowe cover) 15. I’m The Only One (Melissa Etheridge cover) 16. Somebody’s Daughter Encore: 17. At Last (Etta James cover) Performance date: 19th October 2022

Tenille Townes’ latest EP, ‘Masquerades’, is out now on Columbia Nashville.

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Laura Cooney
Laura Cooney
Laura has been writing for Entertainment Focus since 2016, mainly covering music (particularly country and pop) and television, and is based in South West London.

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