BBC MUSIC PRESENTS: IZZY BIZU, SPRING KING, SUNDARA KARMA, 18.11.16

When I first heard BBC had gotten such a lovely bunch of bands together to play some dates in the U.S., I did not hesitate to hop on the train for six hours to get to one of the gigs. I’m so glad I did, because it did not disappoint. 

I knew the gig was going to be small, as The Foundry in Philadelphia, PA. only holds 450 people. However, I did not anticipate exactly how small it was. There was about 15 people there an hour after the doors opened, and no more than 50 by the end of the night. Of course this is not ideal for the bands, but it provided a very personal, chill experience throughout the entire gig. 

The first artist of the night was Izzy Bizu, an Amy Winehouse-esque singer-songwriter from South West London. Her music is heavily influenced by jazz and soul, with beautiful lyrics and a pop-like tone. Her unique sound and positive vibes were a great start to the night. 

Izzy Bizu

Next on was Spring King, one of my favorite small bands of all time, and one of the best live bands I’ve seen in a while. The explosive quartet from Manchester most definitely has a big future ahead of them. Their sound is a perfect mix of indie, alternative rock, and pop-punk. They opened with “Better Man”, a personal favorite of mine, and a excellent start to their set. As soon as they played the first note I couldn’t help but jump up and down and sing along with them. It’s impossible not to dance when you hear their music. As well as rocking the roof off the venue, they were very interactive with the crowd, taking the time to talk to people before, during, and after the gig, which is something I always appreciate in a band.

James (left) and Andrew (right) of Spring King

The last band of the night was Sundara Karma, another all time favorite of mine. They are a four-piece indie band from Reading who are rapidly growing in the U.K.. With such a unique sound and catchy tunes, it’s hard not to fall in love with them. They kicked off their short set with “A Young Understanding”, which is one of the first songs I ever heard by them. Sundara Karma has such a wonderful presence on stage, and lead singer Oscar’s vocals are absolutely breathtaking live. Of course, they played “She Said” and “Olympia”, their two newest songs released off of their album “Youth is Only Ever Fun in Retrospect” coming out in January of 2017. They also played an unreleased song off of their new album, which was quite slow and calm, and absolutely beautiful. They ended the night with one of their more popular songs “Loveblood”, which was the perfect way to end a perfect gig. 

Oscar of Sundara Karma

Although it took a lot of time and effort taking a six hour train to a completely foreign city, booking a hotel, and ubering all around town, I am so glad I decided to go. Sometimes you have to be a little adventurous and do crazy things! Hopefully BBC can organize something like this again in the future to get more small British bands to America, as it was an amazing experience for me to see some of my favorite bands, and I’m sure it was a great experience for the bands as well.

Me and Sundara Karma before the gig

-Gaby