Native Harrow are a married duo who preform folk rock music. Originally from the USA they have now moved to Brighton in the UK and are currently on their ‘Old Kind of Magic’ tour. With lead vocals from Devin Tuel and her husband and backup singer, bassist and pianist, Stephen Harms. The pair worked amazingly together, with undeniable chemistry on stage.
They performed songs from all their 5 albums, on the small stage in Acapella Studios, in Cardiff. A venue Devin described herself as ‘cosy and intimate’. And with around just 10-12 tables of two it was the perfect, and relaxed venue for Devin’s strong vocals to fill.
The concert began at 8pm and they started with the song ‘A song for Joan’, followed by the title of their new album, ‘Old Kind of Magic.’ These were beautifully sung and accompanied perfectly by the instruments. As the room was so silent, you could hear a penny drop as the audience grasped on to every enchanting lyric Devin sang and note Stephen played.
The breaks between songs were filled with stories romanticising the smallest things, such as seagulls and charity shopping… But also, things such as, falling in love, missing out on things from being on tour and the personal experience they had moving, not just a new city, but a whole new country. Which is what their next songs were about, ‘Turn Turn’ and ‘We can’t go on like this’.
I really enjoyed listening to the singing but also to the stories that came with the songs. It gave a different dimension to the song and understanding what the lyrics meant made the audience feel more connected to the music, which was a super unique experience.
‘Happier now’, ‘Shake’ and my favourite from the album, ‘Used to be Free’ was also performed in their magical set. And again, each song came with a story. Towards the end of the set the duo started to play louder and said, “we can’t play pretty songs all the time!” And the audience roared, ‘more, more, more’ before they sang a final two songs. Continuing with the two final songs, ‘I was told’ and ‘Heart of Love.’
This was probably one of my favourite concerts and I think everyone else in there would agree as the atmosphere was unbeatable and as we left everyone was staying how impressed and brilliant the duo was and I couldn’t agree more. And when they left the stage they said, “hopefully we will be soon, thanks for having us!” And I hope they are!
You can catch them on the rest of their tour dates, in London, Exeter or Brighton, and I fully recommend. So, go get your tickets!
