We review Madison Kozak ‘s set in support of Chase Rice at Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London.
We first saw Madison Kozak live when she was announced in November as one of the new class of CMT‘s Next Women of Country, where she proved with just one song exactly why she was named as the flagship artist for Nicolle Galyon’s record label ‘Songs & Daughters.’ Her songwriting is clever, catchy and inspired – a devastatingly good combination.
Taking to the stage with just a guitar and a loop pedal, Kozak managed to shrink Shepherd’s Bush Empire into a living room sized venue, filling the space with her gorgeous, clear vocal. She has one of those easy and natural charismas that only come with years of graft and practice. Diving straight into her track ‘Little Bit of You,’ mashing it up with some Kings of Leon and Whitney cover excerpts, she managed to win over the audience seemingly straight away.
‘Click’ was one of the catchier numbers in her set, paired perfectly with Kozak’s sublime use of the loop pedal. This track managed to achieve the improbable of being better in its live version than the studio track, where you were able to appreciate the intricacies both of Kozak’s lyrics and her vocal tone.
Many artists fall flat in the craft of their sets – either not balancing the right amount of ‘chat’ with their audience or too much – Kozak achieved a masterful balance. Before diving into her next track ‘Phases,’ she talked naturally with the audience about off-loading in a writing session about a boy from Georgia, with a jet-black charger who came and went in her life. He unfollowed her on Instagram after this song was released. Turns out Kozak was able to turn that situation into a damn good song – thanks Kyle. There was a clear moment at this point in the set where the audience started getting properly clued into Kozak’s set, about time too, introducing the most heart-felt moment from her set – a song she wrote for her dad as a Father’s Day present. ‘First Last Name’ is a gorgeous track that needs to be given more attention, and Kozak’s performance was powerfully emotive. It is a mark of a star in the making that Kozak was able to convert an audience, in the support slot, in London on a Saturday night, at a rowdy Chase Rice concert no less….
The audience were gripped as Kozak started her current single ‘OMG ILY’ and a mash-up cover of ‘Wagon Wheel’ and ‘Take Me Home Country Roads’ (girl knows her audience…) Kozak has one of those voices that the UK audience love, and if she continues to pursue and dedicate to her audience – as artists before have done – she is truly set to be one of the UK country darlings.
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Set List
Little Bit of You / Use Somebody (Kings of Leon cover) / Dance With Somebody (Whitney Houston cover)
Click
Phases
First Last Name
OMG ILY
Take Me Home Country Roads (John Denver cover) / Wagon Wheel (Old Crow Medicine Show cover)
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