To say Australia has a love affair with British band London Grammar is an understatement.
The country fell early and hard for the brilliant sonic mix that leans on Hannah Reid's glorious, ethereal vocals, soulful guitar played by Dan Rothman and technical wizardry of Dominic 'Dot' Major.London Grammar formed in 2009 in Nottingham before moving to London to join the pub and club circuit, gathering strong grassroots support.
They released mesmerising single 'Hey Now' in November 2012, ahead of their Australian debut performance at The Falls Music and Arts Festival in early 2013, which undoubtedly cemented lifelong Aussie fans at the start of the band's rise.
The release of critically acclaimed EP 'Metal And Dust' in February 2013, was quickly followed by longplayer ‘If You Wait' in September of the same year.
A powerhouse album, featuring singles 'Hey Now', 'Metal & Dust', 'Wasting My Young Years' and 'Strong', it was no surprise the album received the attention of music critics and fans alike, with 'Strong' receiving a prestigious Ivor Novello Award.
The band's sophomore album, 2017's 'Truth Is A Beautiful Thing', didn't disappoint. Although it didn't hit the same heights as 'If You Wait', London Grammar's sublime sound continued to put Reid's vocals to the fore and delivered beautiful moments with 'Rooting For You' and 'Big Picture'.
And it could have been there that the London Grammar story ended. Reid told NME in 2021 that persistent sexism in the industry and from the media wore her down. "I just felt like I had a different task to the boys," she said.
"They could walk into a room and just be taken seriously as musicians straight away.
"If I'm strong-minded, I'm being really 'difficult' or I'm being a 'bitch'. It can be a really, really tiny thing, but if you have it every day, and it becomes a thousand moments, it can actually change who you are."
Reflecting on those experiences, Reid told her bandmates she needed to flip a switch or wouldn't be able to continue playing.
"I did say to Dan and Dot: 'Something does have to change because I just can't keep doing my best work or going out on the road if I'm going to come back and feel this way'," Reid told NME.
"If I'm the leader, other people will have to respect me and respect us."
They made the decision to put Reid at the front, elevating her voice not only lyrically, but as the representative of the band. This reckoning also coincided with Reid's diagnosis of fibromyalgia, brought on by the pressures of overwork and touring hard.
Reid told Flood Magazine in 2021 that it made her realise she needed to take decisions out of the hands of others. "When stuff started going wrong with my health, we were coerced multiple times to keep going," she said.
"People say it's not about the money, but it is about the money. You're a product, essentially.
"When you're starting out, you're so grateful to be where you are – or you're made to feel like you're being ungrateful if you don't go along with everything that's expected."
Taking control of the band's direction, combined with a reflection on her experiences in the industry drove a change in the subjects Reid was ready to lay bare in her songwriting, evident in their third album 'Californian Soil' (2021), which debuted at No 1 in both the Australian and UK charts.
"When I lost my health, I lost everything," she says. "In that experience, I was enabled. If I'm going to make an album, I may as well lyrically lay bare my soul."
Australia's wait to experience 'California Soul' live on stage ends this month as London Grammar return to the country for the fifth time, and with a reputation for bringing audiences to tears through the emotional power of their songs played live, it looks like we are in for a treat.
London Grammar 2022 Tour Dates
Sat 21 May - Belvoir Amphitheatre (Perth)Tue 24 May - Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre
Thu 26 May - John Cain Arena (Melbourne)
Sat 28 May - Aware Super Theatre (Sydney)
Tue 31 May - The Riverstage (Brisbane)
