PHOTOS: Faye Webster @ The EARL - ATL

21 year old singer/songwriter and Atlanta native, Faye Webster returned home to Atlanta to a sold out show at The EARL last night. Webster is riding the high behind her first appearance at Bonnaroo and headlining tour around the Midwest and East Coast, and of course her new album Atlanta Millionaires Club, released May 24th via Secretly Canadian, and already being recognized by the likes of Rolling Stone, PASTE, and more as one of the year’s best albums so far.

While still a young artist in age, Faye Webster already has a long history in Atlanta, so it’s wonderful seeing the loving reception from the packed out mixed crowd in East Atlanta. Webster has been earning her mark as a songwriter and more since at least the age of 14. We’ve caught her everywhere in Atlanta from the small stages to large: Grocery On Home intimate shows, Eddie’s Attic listening room, Terminal West opening for other artist’s sold out shows, and more. While she was coming up as a folk singer-songwriter, she’s was also becoming a well known hip hop photographer, starting working with some now well known artists she went to school with here in Decatur. She also released her last album in 2017 with the Atlanta hip hop label Awful Records, furthering her odd pairing with the local hip hop community for those that only listened to Faye’s music on the surface.

While Faye’s latest album was released by Secretly Canadian, her first with this top indie label, her connection to Atlanta is felt throughout starting with the name Atlanta Millionaires Club, a homage to a club her father started that did 5Ks, donut eating contents and more for charity. That hip hop connection isn’t lost either, which even includes Awful Records’ artist Father on the “Flowers”. Of course the question then became for her sold out show, would Father make an appearance, or anyone else?

This tour was more than just Faye and her guitar, as she toured with a full band including the pedal steel heard throughout the new record. The pedal steel is prominent for the live show and on the album, giving each song a different vibe, a little bit country, a little of the tropical vibes that Buffett himself would be proud of. The record itself though, while being at times lonely stories, has an upbeat vibe that stems a little itself from Faye’s hip hop past.

Despite being a folk record, there’s a definite big R&B aspect found throughout, starting with Faye’s delivery and groovy beats. It’s Faye’s feather-light vocals and slow delivery that hardly ever gives you the full breathe of Faye’s vocal ability, making this the almost trap equivalent of folk music. This record is dreamy as can be, with just enough sway to keep the crowds moving. It’s retro, in the sense that this record could almost as easily live in the 70s, but at the same time Faye Webster has very much modernized the sound, and a quick look around the room showed the impact she’s making in this generation.

Faye Webster and the band rolled through most of the new album throughout the set with the hit singles like “Room Temperature”, “Right Side of My Neck”, and “Kingston”. There was also a new song, some old and deeper cuts off the new album such as “Come to Atlanta”, in which Faye and the ATL crowd decreed the song. Faye also told the story behind “Pigeon”, in which she actually sent a note to a guy in Australia via a Pigeon, which because of the expense, the pigeon could only carry two lines. Laughing about the whole thing and how funny it sounds saying it out loud, Faye wouldn’t tell the crowd what the two lines were, only that it was a quote.

Ending the set with “Jonny”, Faye really stopped the room with her vocals and the gorgeous song not originally supposed to be a love song. The emotion burned throughout the room, as the vulnerability shined through. It felt as though the room was all together, swaying to the music, and not wanting it to end. So of course, after a quick break and the Braves chant, Faye came back on to finish out the night appropriately with “Jonny (Reprise)”, ending the night with a standing ovation and appreciation for Atlanta’s own Faye Webster.

And for those keeping score, Faye has become known as an avid yo-yo trickster, always pulling it out on stage. Evidently she forgot to do her trick the night before in Asheville, which got her a lot of funny and angry DMs. Well thanks Asheville, she didn’t forget in Atlanta, and as she said, perfectly nailing this one! So don’t @FayeWebster, you got your yo-yo. There was sadly not appearance by Father at this Atlanta show, but that was no matter because all this sold out show needed was Faye Webster and her talented band to bring out the Saturday night summer vibes. A beautiful night at The EARL for our local rising songstress.

Opening the show was Los Angeles-based singer songwriter Jenny O., who joined Faye throughout the tour. Jenny O. has already gained her own national following behind her two full length records and EPs, including her latest 2017’s Peace & Information. Jenny O. has also recently released a new single, a cover of The Seeds’ “Can’t Seem to Make You Mine”, proving to a be a perfect compliment to Faye’s style with her own personal beautiful folk songs. Faye and her band even joined Jenny O. on one song, while Jenny returned the favor late in Faye’s set.

A beautiful night of music in East Atlanta Village, check out more photos from the show by Mike Gerry below: