Live Review: Billie Marten, Maple Glider @ Metro Theatre, Sydney

Billie Marten(Credit: Frances Carter)

At just 26 years old, Billie Marten has already established herself as a seasoned veteran of the stage, having earned praise for her musical outputs going as far back as her teenage days. This experience was put to good use when the British folk artist brought her tour, celebrating the release of her latest album Dog Eared, to Sydney’s Metro Theatre.

Her latest return to Australian shores came with the added experience of loosening control, working with various collaborators to help shape her latest release. This newly welcomed form of collaboration for Marten could be heard through the fleshed-out performances of her songs, both new and old, featuring live backing vocals, bass guitar and drums.

Marten confidently led, regularly swapping between electric and acoustic guitars, while her heavenly vocals remained the focal point throughout the night.

Before this, a great turnout welcomed Melbourne-based artist Maple Glider. The early arrivals knew they were in for a treat and gave the talented singer-songwriter, real name Tori Zietsch, a reverent silence, only ever broken with warm applause once the last note of her ethereal voice had faded completely.

Even though her set was stripped back to just her voice and guitar, none of the renditions of her songs felt lacking in the slightest. Set opener Swimming was a soothingly hypnotic start-point, leading later to the emotionally poignant Don’t Kiss Me, a rendition bolstered by Zietsch’s driven, expressive vocals.

Zietsch showed off new material, an unreleased song called Mountains, and revealed that she’s currently writing more music, before closing with Good Thing, a crowd favourite that more than deserved the rapturous praise it evoked as she made her exit. 

The packed audience wasted no time getting into the sing-alongs when Marten opened with the melodic Feeling, belting out the lyrics right back at her, something that would recur throughout the night, usually to Marten’s surprise.

“You know these songs better than I do… someone’s been practising,” Marten quipped, following her surprised reaction to the audience singing the words to Crown, just one of the many new tracks that benefit from the more band-focused sound heard across Dog Eared. Marten’s dry and witty humour, delivered in a hushed manner, went over well with punters all night. 

“I was having a terrible time, hence the album,” said Marten of her 2019 release, Feeding Seahorses By Hand, before playing the opening guitar riff to the beautiful but melancholic Cartoon People. Indeed, other songs showcased from this album maintained a similar sombre and introspective atmosphere.

A respectful and attentive silence fell across the Metro Theatre as Marten stood on stage by herself and delivered a vulnerable and devastating performance of Vanilla Baby. These solo performances by Marten would pop up sporadically throughout the night and gave the show a good level of variety. 

Marten later got a chance to show off her dexterous guitar solo skills during Leap Year. She briefly stood on the tip of her toes as she nailed harmonics on the guitar, which eventually earned her a thunderous ovation from the crowd.

The song was a great example of the variety of pop and folk tracks throughout Dog Eared, as well as the improved songwriting abilities of Marten herself. The London-based singer put her vocal range to the test when she effortlessly sang higher and higher during the chorus of Mice, while the crowd did an admirable job of keeping up with her. It was also during this song that Marten successfully encouraged everyone in attendance to sway side to side, which lasted throughout the song. 

Phones were up and recording in mass numbers for the main set closer I Can’t Get My Head Around You, before Marten and co briefly walked off stage, and then quickly returned to ‘one more song’ chants.

“No one’s usually sung until this point,” joked Marten, before playing the last song of the night, Swing. All night, Marten exuded an aura of confidence that could only have been earned through years of experience and dedicated improvement. There seemed to be a no-nonsense approach to the way Marten conducted the band and herself on stage, allowing the great strength of her songwriting to shine through unfiltered and undisturbed.