Brighten The Corners Presents American indie-rock folk-punk artist and band Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage on Tuesday 29th August at St Stephen's Church in Ipswich. Support comes from Norwich-based singer-songwriter Kitty Perrin playing with her band.
"Weird? Very... but also downright inspiring" Rolling Stone
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Time: 7.30pm - 11pm
Venue: St Stephens Church, Ipswich
Tickets: £16.50+bf
Supports: TBA
Age Restrictions: 14+ (14- 15s must be accompanied by an adult) -
The mind-spinning indie-rock/folk/art of Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage developed when songwriter and comic book artist Jeffrey Lewis began recording homemade cassettes in New York City in 1998; his critically acclaimed, unusual and word-dense songs lead to Jeffrey signing to Rough Trade Records in 2001 (record label of The Smiths, The Strokes, Belle & Sebastian, etc.), and the project evolved into a live touring cult sensation around the world. Creating a brilliant style of scuzzy urban indie-rock-folk, like a 21st Century mash-up of Sonic Youth, Pete Seeger and R. Crumb, Jeffrey’s band has played countless gigs all over the world, including playing as the opening act for icons like the Mountain Goats, Daniel Johnston, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Dinosaur Jr, The Fall, Dr. Dog, Pulp, Roky Erickson, The Vaselines, and more.
Their most recent official album is “Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage: Bad Wiring” released on Don Giovanni Records (USA) and Moshi Moshi Records (internationally) in November 2019 (garnering rave reviews), but Jeffrey has also digitally self-released four DIY albums from his apartment since the pandemic started. With or without bandmates Jeffrey continues to wring folksy spiel and garage bohemianism from his ramshackle guitar, while incorporating his often politically subversive visual artwork and cartoons into live appearances. Some of these audio/visual projects have been hosted by the History Channel website, such as “The Story of Sitting Bull,” a Jeffrey Lewis illustrated song which won a Webby Award in 2011 for “Best Writing on the Internet.” Jeffrey's “The Story of Keith Haring” was commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art in 2021.
As of 2022 the 4-piece line-up of Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage includes Mallory Feuer on violin and keyboard, Mem Pahl on bass and Brent Cole on drums.
“Jeffrey Lewis is an amazing musician, and if you don’t know his songs you probably have a hole in your heart that can only be filled by his words… I did!” – Regina Spektor
"Hands down my favorite contemporary songwriter" - Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie)
“Jeffrey is the best pure songwriter I know of... 'Sad Screaming Old Man’… is one of my favorite songs ever written” - David Berman (Silver Jews)
Kitty Perrin is a singer-songwriter based in Norwich, having relocated from Brighton for University and quickly built a name for herself in East Anglia. Through melancholy indie-pop, Kitty shares intimate and personal stories with her listeners about everything from divorce to superheroes.
Her narrative driven songwriting is reminiscent of Alternative-Indie legends – Elliott Smith, Nick Drake, Conor Oberst – and modern contemporaries such as Lucy Dacus, Waxahatchee & Julien Baker. Kitty’s debut EP ‘Stick It Out’ showcased her honest, open and conversational character, earning her features in Clash Magazine and The Glastonbury Emerging Talent longlist.
“A beautifully sculpted piece of all-too-relatable pop music” Clash (on ‘The Escapist’)