Brighten The Corners Presents indie-folk duo lilo at The Smokehouse on Friday 31st October.
Support comes from Arthur Black.
“lilo on their debut LP have really marked themselves out as an act to watch, while there are shades of Big Thief, The Staves and First Aid Kit, their sound is distinct finding a gorgeous sweet spot between toned down, intimate beauty and more adventurous sounds that still spotlight their heavenly harmonies.” - Clash
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Time: 7.30pm - 11pm
Venue: The Smokehouse, Ipswich
Tickets: £10+bf
Supports: TBC
Age Restrictions: 14+ (14- 15s must be accompanied by an adult)Accessibility: There is step-free access into the venue and the bar / venue is all on one floor. There is a Changing Places toilet across the courtyard from the venue. Please be aware we are a small venue. For further information, please email info@brightenthecorners.co.uk so we can make your visit as comfortable as possible.
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lilo are kicking off 2025 in style with the exciting news of their debut album, ‘Blood Ties’, which they have announced is being released by Dalliance Recordings on 28 March. Alongside this, the duo made up of Christie Gardner and Helen Dixon are sharing a new song from the album called ‘It’s Not The Same In Winter’. The track begins with a gently plucked guitar part that ushers in the duo’s signature vocal harmonies as they breathe a cool sophistication over a song that explores dissociation in the midst of a crisis, artfully comparing it to the depths of winter.
With two stunning alt-country / indie rock EPs (2022’s Sleep Country and 2023’s I Don’t Like My Chances On The Outside), childhood friends Christie Gardner and Helen Dixon proved themselves a new duo with something special going on. As lilo, their songs reflected the life of twenty-somethings in and out of love and luck, with this human element perfectly weighted alongside their arresting harmonies and rich instrumentation.
While informed by a deep understanding and love of folk music, with references to Karen Dalton and Julie Collins a regular occurrence, their music is also modern, in line with the likes of Julia Jacklin, Laura Marling and Mitski. They say they like to give their songs “a poppier lean” because “We want to have fun and try not to think too much about genre. We just write what we feel makes sense for the sentiment of each song.”
As is often the way, their pain is our gain with the resultant set of songs feeling fully fleshed out and their best yet, a benefit from them not rushing the process. With its understated beauty, the band explore highs and lows across Blood Ties - feelings of numbness, break-ups and hardship mesh with day dreams, an open heart and moments of happiness. You start to understand the significance more when hearing Christie describe it as “a little window into our lives that we get to keep forever.” Such is their symbiosis that it is at times difficult to separate one voice from another; “We live intertwined lives and as a result, we write about each others’ experiences as much as our own,” Helen explains.