Words: Lauren Dehollogne

Australian indie-folk duo Hollow Coves brought their sunshine attitude to chilly London. The melancholic, daydream-inspired music enchanted everyone in the crowd, and quickly we all wanted to book a trip to explore the world. 

From talking about climbing mountains in Norway to singing about faraway beaches, Hollow Coves are a band made for wanderers. ‘The Open Road’ and ‘Home’ are two songs with complete different meanings: roaming the world is the main idea for the former, while the latter is about longing to be home.

Both of them seemed to be overwhelmed to be in London, far away from the Gold Coast – their home base. Ryan Henderson, one part of the band, started talking about how all of this seemed surreal and, with glimmering eyes, he told us that they’d never expected this to happen. “Matt is a certified carpenter and I am a certified electrical engineer,” is what he shared with us before they proceeded to play ‘We Will Run’, the song that became the start of them eventually ditching their day jobs to become professional musicians. 

Opening up about their plans to return to London cheered up the crowd. For the first time the, otherwise quiet, audience jumped up and down and screamed with joy. 

‘Anew’ was played at the end – at least if they didn’t have an encore, that is. This track – one that was inspired by their fans – was the highlight of the evening. The slow and melancholic lines are yet another facet to this indie-folk band. 

Longing words and chilled melodies are what to expect from Hollow Coves, but this live rendition of their work makes it stronger. Less so an alternative of an ‘Into the Woods’ soundtrack, but more of an original that excels once it’s in front of you.