Music: Daughter

Jeff Hemmings on Daughter’s upcoming Brighton gig

Daughter are Elena Tonra and Igor Haefeli (along with recent addition Remi Aguilella on drums). Boyfriend and girlfriend, what Elena’s and Igor’s relationship is like is anyone’s guess: “I want you so much/ But I hate your guts” goes the couplet on their track, ‘Landfill’. While on ‘Youth’ she sings ‘All our feelings are dead’. Almost needless to say, Daughter’s world is full of haunting melodies and moody atmospherics, plus a sprinkling of pain and drama. “‘Smother’ is more about a breakdown than a break-up, and me looking at myself in quite a negative manner,” Elena has said. “Maybe there are things I shouldn’t say…”

Their recent EP on the uber-trendy Communion label, The Wild Youth, saw them catapult into the nation’s consciousness, with legendary label 4AD subsequently signing them: expect their debut album, Smother, in the next few weeks. 4AD are an apt choice for this band who employ plenty of moody introspection, ambient sonics and haunting textures within their sound, not a million miles away from the likes of Bon Iver, Laura Marling and St. Vincent.

Things have been moving fast for Daughter: Elena, 21, began performing as a stripped-down acoustic singer but upon meeting Haefeli the seeds of the bands sound were sown. “I got a bit bored of just me and my guitar,” says Elena.
Bleak yet heartening, stripped back yet epic, Daughter should nicely fill the cavernous, reverential space that is St. Mary’s Church in kemp Town, ripe for a mid-January jolly…
St. Mary’s Church, Thursday 17 January, 7pm, £12