The About section of Martha Meredith’s website wasn’t lying when it wrote: “her brutally honest pillars and pitfalls will resonate with your own.” In the back room of The Cameron House, Martha gave an intimate performance that brought all who attended into her world.

The set opened with a haunting keyboard riff care of the songstress herself. With the support of her band, Martha confessed in a honey-soaked chorus,

“My silence is the key to my cage”

Goosebumps rushed down the back of my neck. The candid lyrical prose had struck a chord with me. I scanned the room and noticed Martha’s music had a similar effect on the rest of the audience. They stared from their seats in admiration as the front-woman opened up through her own personal flavour of indie pop.

Martha’s honest sound took a raw turn with Build Me. The musical craftswoman braved the stage with only an electric guitar and Graeme Gerussi on banjo. A duet of finger picking riffs laid the foundation to heartfelt vocals. Stripped away of keys, drums and bass, Build Me brought the show to a whole different level of intimacy.

The band wrapped it up with the debut of a brand new song. The never-before-played tune carried catchy hooks and clean grooves reminiscent of the 90s. My mind conjured images of flannel, mushroom cuts and POGS (that’s how I remember the 90s, okay?!) Not too long in, an audience member used his face to break his fall. Poor guy. Martha’s captivating vocals had him so entranced that he forgot how to walk!

Despite the hilarious turn of events, the band managed to finish their set without a hitch. But the audience was hungry for more. Playing it sly, Martha answered the requests with an invitation to see them again on March 28^th at Rancho Relaxo.

Photos by Andrew Weir