Mancunian indie outlet Delights are simply incredible. They mix indie with funk and lo-fi sounds and ideas to create a chilled and cinematic sound that was built for the stage. We caught up with them on the third night of their UK headline tour, promoting the album If Heaven Looks A Little Like This, with support from Flat Party and Leah Wilcox...
Leah Wilcox and her band are a powerhouse pop-rock act, and are true gems of the Nottingham / Derby music scene, with this set being no exception. Leah’s beautiful vocals have an element of classic female-driven rock’n’roll rasp to them, and the songs as a whole have a country flavour, something that is used to enhance the set fully.
Tonight, the band are on top form, as always, acting as a strong yet not overpowering backbone for Leah to truly give her all. The guitars are a huge highlight, for me, with Leah’s big rhythmic guitar sounds cutting through the mix beautifully alongside the vocals, which is rare to see, as she was playing an electro acoustic guitar. Lead guitarist Joe plays intricate but loud riffs to maximum effect, utilising a clear classic rock influence when playing, creating a lush guitar sound that truly impresses. Honestly, everyone in this band is an incredible talent, and not one single member lets up at any point. Bassist Louisa, drummer Toby and keyboardist Ollie, of whom also plays keys in the brilliant Eighty-Eight Miles, truly put every ounce they have into these shows and its a joy to see and hear on stage.
Origami Flowers, a potent romantic song, is the set’s highlight, with the song conveying a strong, heartfelt sense of confusion in love, a theme throughout Leah’s set. If there’s one local act you go to see this year, Leah Wilcox and her band should be top contender, proven in this delightful support slot.
It's always good to be surprised by an act, to go not knowing them at all, and leave in love with their presence, sound, and songs... and this happened to me with Flat Party. Indie sleaze is coming back into fashion, and this band certainly represent the best of it. With the combination of grooving drums, beautifully jagged guitar riffs and striking, tonally resonant, vocals, these guys really have something special going on.
Song-wise, the highlight for me is the fourth song in, which to my knowledge and research is as-of-yet unreleased, written as LYK DUST on the set lists. The whole set was amazing but this song was really special; with a strong verse leading to an emotive and powerful, but also ridiculously catchy chorus, it grabbed me completely. It's a whole moment in a song, something very hard to achieve but Flat Party do it with confident ease. Frontman Jack’s vocals are clean and crisp, with extremely well-placed delivery, making for a charismatic and charming performance.
The entire set is thirty-ish minutes of pure indie joy, and the playful tone combined with the band’s raw musical talent really stands out here. Flat Party are a must-see act this year, definitely.
For me, Delights are a completely different breed of band. Their sound is chill but unrelenting; it completely fills the room, grabbing everyone’s attention instantly.
They begin with an extended version of Iris, from their 2022 release Cool as Sports, which has an extremely funk-like feel, but with a sort of reverb heavy lo-fi vibe. It's brilliant.
As a whole, the set is an extremely well put-together mix of lush, honed instrumental segments, enhanced by soft but resonant vocals, and every one single song stuck out in the set list. However, the song that really made the set was the combination of Hotel Lobby and Hotel Bar, both of which are taken straight off the new album.
Vocalist Adam announces it by saying the band will take us “From the Hotel Lobby to the Hotel Bar” with effortless coolness. The blend is natural; it's designed to be, and it's very, very well executed through the band’s sheer musical talents. It's fairly long, but doesn’t feel it, and it's also rather cinematic in just how much it embodies the hotel feelings conveyed through the titles. The song certainly wouldn’t be out of place in a suave spy thriller in a hotel scene.
The sold-out crowd love the band completely, with everyone moving and dancing and bobbing along with a mix of not-so-subtle joy and admiration. Delights, as a five-piece pop-funk powerhouse, are so deserving of this crowd.
They never let up once through the set, and it's simply incredible to see, let alone hear.
Their set list for this tour is next-level: a brilliantly well-formed mix of tracks taken directly from the new album, and their older back catalogue, all performed with the sounds of If Heaven Looks a Little Like This. The variety is good as it allows them to exhibit the world and expanse of the new work but also, in a way, redesign the soundscapes of what has come before for them. This perfectly suits the live setting.
Overall, I was extremely impressed by Delights. It was my first time seeing them live, so I didn’t really know what to expect apart from what they have released. I was met with an insanely talented, extremely good sounding band who excel at chill, lush instrumentals alongside delicate yet potent vocals, with a committed and loving fanbase. If you like chill music, with 80s vibes and transporting properties, these guys are a must-listen and a complete must-see. A simply fantastic gig as a whole.
Delights performed at The Bodega on 14th February 2025, with support from Flat Party and Leah Wilcox.
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