.

.

2017 had quite the ride for singer/songwriter Maddy Jane. If it’s not her songs receiving high rotation on triple j, it’s her adding to the high calibre of artists she’s toured with. From fellow Tasmanians Luca Brasi to Welsh rockers Catfish And The Bottlemen to superstar icons like Harry Styles, Maddy Jane has friends in high places and it’s all thanks to her high persistence and ability to make relatable tunes for the masses. Now, the 22-year-old has finally released her long-awaited EP ‘Not Human At All’ along with some intimate dates in Melbourne and Sydney and attending punters, myself included, were eager to see the new songs from ‘Not Human At All’ come alive in Sydney’s Waywards.

.

.

To kick off the night, Sydney rockers STUMPS took to the stage to play songs off her debut EP ‘Just Another Stay At Home Son’. Frontman Kyle Fisher is an absolute maniac onstage, over exaggerating every move onstage with intense emotion. By the end of their set, everyone in the crowd was bopping along to their insanely catchy tunes and made the hype for Maddy Jane that much bigger.

NSW South Coast-bred sisters Lily and Grace Richardson also brought high expectations with their project CLEWS. To say that CLEWS’ stage presence is great would be a complete underestimation. Between their melancholic harmonies and 90’s-esque instrumentals, the sisters were conductors to the crowd swaying along with drinks in their hands. A highlight of their set was “Teeth”, a soft introduction before pulling out all ends in their latest single “Museum”.

.

.

Closing with “Feel”, it was evident why CLEWS have begun to gain insane traction in 2018. They ooze confidence and cool in everything they create and bring that character to the stage so effortlessly. And for that, I am so eager to continue to watch CLEWS become game changers in Australian music.

Despite the extremely high bar set for the night from STUMPS and CLEWS, no one couldn’t predict the ferocity of Maddy Jane as she began her single “Drown It Out”. Maddy hypnotised the crowd in a way that could bring everyone to their knees. The audience couldn’t stop singing and dancing along to her opener along with EP closer “Ideal”, and were continuously in joy, even when she was raving on about her “fucking sick support acts”, even suggesting to them that they play more shows together.

.

.

Maddy laid her heart out to the crowd with every song. Whether it’s the guitar-driven EP title track “Not Human At All”, the pensive “People” or the heartbreaking new song she sang alone on stage with her guitar, the audience reflected the same emotion back to her as she constantly thanked the crowd in every song.

Before her performance of “Say You Weren’t Mine”, Maddy reflected on her time supporting Harry Styles and how the audience in Auckland placed lights in the air during the song. “This is my really angry song”, Maddy explained before performing. And as the crowd mimicked her story, all pain tied to the song was turned into elation as Maddy belted out the song with her backing band.

.

.

The crowd became rowdier once Maddy Jane’s more known singles came out to play. They screamed the lyrics during the heartbreaking “Thank You And Sorry” and the bittersweet ode to Tasmania, “No Other Way”, but nothing could surprise Maddy more than the crowd chanting for one more tune. So came her finale in Paul Kelly’s “How To Make Gravy”, a song which her mates in Luca Brasi “stole her cover”.

There’s plenty of reason as to why Maddy Jane had an amazing year in 2017. It’s all in the way she presents herself and her music onstage. And with the knowledge she gained from performing with Catfish And The Bottlemen and Harry Styles, she brings a rockstar to life, bursting at the seams of her silhouette on stage. 2018 seems as though it will indeed be Maddy Jane’s year once again. The only way for her is up.

.

.

AMNPLIFY – GD