It’s been a busy year for Jadu Heart. Hot on the heels of the release of their fourth record, and following an extended jaunt across the US with recent Nottingham Arena fillers - and one of the biggest bands in the world right now - Fontaines DC, they find themselves packing out Rescue Rooms as part of their own headline UK tour...
Almost a decade into their career, Jadu Heart have carved themselves a well-earned niche as part of the post-modern wave of bands eschewing genre conventions and in particular, leaning into a deeply DIY style of eclecticism.
Their most recent LP Post Heaven is emblematic of this approach. Genres are fragmented, flitted between; passing by quickly. Deployed in service to the songs, these seemingly disparate ideas and sounds are selected for their emotional resonance, creating a kind of auditory collage. Contextualised by the dissolution of the duo’s long-term relationship prior to recording, however, the band’s aforementioned DIY aesthetic finds itself repurposed into further lending the album an enhanced sense of emotional frankness and purity.
Before we get to how they translate that into a live setting though, brand-new trio Pearl2 provide the support by way of a continuous set of thundering electronica goodness. It’s a pulsating homage to the 90s; weaving acid house with swaggering bassline grooves and serving as a more than adept appetiser. The shifting sands of the masterfully manipulated synths here are given further soul by live bass and ethereal vocals. It’s a transportive set, elevated by the surroundings of Rescue Rooms, the sound system given a true workout. Despite having only released one song to date, they’re already earning themselves credit as an intriguing one-to-watch.
When Jadu Heart take to the stage then, it’s to the rapturous cheers of a well-warmed up crowd. The set starts with I’m a Kid, from debut album Melt Away, and it’s clear they’ve brought their A-game; at least musically. “It’s a Monday night so we’re going to have to power through together” says Alex Headford, just before passing a bottle of tequila into the audience. As far as atmosphere-building tactics go, it’s a strong one.
Not that they need alcohol to help on that front: it’s remarkable how much texture and bite the band are able to coax from their tracks live. Headford snatches chords from his guitar strings as Diva Jeffrey lays down thumping bass, and that sparking energy is immediately recycled and returned by the audience.
The setlist is smartly chosen to not only compliment the new songs but also provide a near-seamless flow of blistering crescendos and more reflective moments, with almost every song evolving from one state to another over the course of its runtime. From folk-tinged guitar lapped by waves of synths, to post-rock inspired swirls of noise and shards of violin, it’s an impressive breadth of sounds.
The bulk of the songs tonight come from Post Heaven and their second LP, Hyper Romance, from 2020. They fit snugly together, cohering well. The new songs especially are given new life live. The renditions of Littleboy and AUX preserve the emotional heft of the recorded versions, while revealing a new dimension on stage.
Other highlights are Post Romance and Mild to Moderate Pain, which again act as symbols of how expertly the band can shift between moods and sounds. This is characterised by each of the four musicians onstage switching instruments at least once tonight; the drummer takes up guitar as Headford mans the laptop, Jeffrey plays keyboard and synth as well as bass, and there’s some violin thrown in by the remaining band member, too.
The tempo builds toward the end of the evening, careening through Another Life and finishing with the buzzing, glitching U. Each song is thrown out to the appreciative crowd, perhaps loosened up by the communal tequila but more likely simply thrilled by the sounds emanating from the speakers and the obvious enjoyment of the band.
Jadu Heart have made a point of existing alongside the music industry as much as part of it during their career – committed to remaining truthful to themselves and creating music as authentic and honest as possible through their independence. On the basis of tonight, this is absolutely the right approach and one I hope they continue to forge a path with.
Jadu Heart performed at Rescue Rooms on 9th June 2025. Check out our interview with the band here.
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