In the heart of Perth's suburbia, soulful femme trio The Holy Smoke – Rose, Karlee Rae and Delilah Rose – have been inspiring locals with their timeless harmonies, toe-tapping tunes and telling lyrics, lovingly created with a dash of local flavour.
This particular sunny, Sunday afternoon (9 September) at Bayswater Bowling Club, their catchy and fun-listening tunes left most finding it hard to sit still in their seats, The Holy Smoke's powerful and sparkly vibe fitting for a relaxing end to the weekend.
The sassy trio, whose voices were powerful yet seemingly effortless and comforting, held the room in the palm of their hands.
Playing originals such as 'Down To The River', “this is for anyone who lives in Bayswater,” Dee said as she broke into song, solo, soon followed by her two band members joining in harmony and ending with an a capella arrangement that brought on goosebumps.
Another original, 'Will There Be A Light', brought the room to a complete stand still. Rose’s organic rasp together with the soft yet powerful highs and lows of their harmonies were staggering and utterly empowering.
“I wasn't the only one with goosebumps and moved by the sound and those harmonies. [I] definitely want to hear 'Noelene' recorded,” audience member Cheryl Biggs said.
A hit of the afternoon was their cover of 'Joelene', followed by their Aussie rendition 'Noelene', which had the crowd in fits of laughter, the lyrics along the lines of “get your hands off my man”.
The group, who define themselves as sounds of soul, gospel, folk and country sang a capella during 'Go To Sleep', which Dee said: “was originally written in 1839”. With nowhere to hide, their voices were smooth like chocolate and naturally captivating.
You can catch the trio performing again when they launch their new single 'Lay Your Head Down' at Kidogo Arthouse (Fremantle) on 25 November. They also play Como Bowling & Recreation Club on 20 October.
The Baysie Rollers next event will be on 14 October at The Bayswater Bowling and Recreation Club with Simone & Girlfunkle and Olive performing.
The Baysie Rollers are a collaborative group who work to create a quality Bayswater live music venue that showcases the best original bands in the Perth music scene and the rich and growing musical talent embedded in the local community.
