Easy Life
This was not the crowd I was used to. Leicester band Easy Life attracted a trendy gathering of Uni students, bedecked in suitably Instagram-able outfits. They haven’t been around long, forming in 2017, releasing their first single “Pockets” in the same year. Their latest single “Earth” debuted earlier this year on Radio One, alongside a video focussing on environmental issues. This is the first time the band has played in Norwich, but tickets were sold out and the venue (The Adrian Flux Waterfront) was packed and buzzing when we arrived.
Support was provided by 25-year-old JGrrey, an angel faced bubble of energy who bopped out electronic R&B with a solid retro vibe. Notably the singer joined Billie Eilish in Prague on her world tour, and her fanbase is slowly growing. The neo-soul music is complemented by the singers wonderfully soft voice, particularly on the singer’s latest track “Better Off”, which mixes funky beats with soulful melodies, much like the rest of her repertoire, which includes arguably her best-known track “Don’t Fade”.
After a brief wait Easy Life took to the stage. As one of only two bands I’ve ever seen rocking a saxophonist, the set was a lo-fi, reggae inspired blur, with one chill out track after another. Starting with their latest single “Earth”, other stand out tracks included their high energy performance of “Nightmares” and laid-back song “OJPL”. About halfway into the set, front man Murray informed us that, while this was their first time in Norwich, it was also “Sam the Sax Man’s” birthday, which was commemorated by a rousing rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’. Crowd participation was encouraged and the whole evening was good natured and buzzing. After this they launched into a new song ‘Nice Guys’, which was received well, despite heading in a slightly different stylistic direction to their older stuff. Returning to the stage after their final song Murray noted that this was the first time a crowd ever shouted encore for them. Following this was a heavy version of “Wet Weekend” and a second rendition of “Pockets”, their first single.
With an infectious energy despite the mellow notes to their tracks, Easy Life are a solid live gig. Despite only being introduced to them recently I would absolutely go see them again, should they decide to grace Norwich with their presence again. The new, unreleased song ‘Nice Guys’ could hint at a new album some time soon, and with the slight change in pace could show an evolution in their sound. I’m excited to see where they go next, they’ve definitely gained a listener from this gig.
