Mallrat Live At EartH

On a muggy Thursday evening in Dalston, dream-pop girl to watch Mallrat took over the basement of EartH Hackney, turning a somewhat cavernous space into one filled with airy vocals and modern sounds infused with nostalgia.

Although far from her hometown of Brisbane, this performance still felt like something of a homecoming for Mallrat. East London’s Australian émigrés were out in full force to support one of their own who’s making international waves, adding to the sense of joy already provided by the music. Née Grace Shaw, 26 year old Mallrat grew up on a healthily chaotic mixture of musical influences: think Leonard Cohen, Nicki Minaj and early exposure to Riverdance, provided by Irish and Scottish grandparents on her mum’s side. When she was still in her teens, Mallrat taught herself how to make beats online; lyric writing was soon to follow. Three years later, Mallrat had self-released her first EP – Uninvited. Collaborations with global stars such as Post Malone and the Chainsmokers brought further attention to her work, and in 2022 she released her first album, Butterfly Blue.

This recent show provided an opportunity to take a trip through Mallrat’s back catalogue, from the beginning all the way up until this year’s newest release: her sophomore album Light Hit My Face Like a Straight Right, which this tour is in support of.

Proceedings began with a lead single from the new album: Pavement.With both Mallrat and her band almost completely obscured by moody flashing lights, the audience’s attention was fixed solely on this electronica-inspired track with lyrics overflowing with yearning; juxtaposed by house samples from DJ Zirk and Cub Sport – perhaps an after-effect of Mallrat’s eclectic musical upbringing. It was soon followed by Surprise Me, a blissful piece of bubblegum-trap featuring a starring cameo from Azealia Banks, one of Mallrat’s musical heroes.

Another highlight to hear live was the brooding Teeth from Mallrat’s debut album. As with every other song on the setlist, it was executed flawlessly by both Mallrat and her band, and it signalled the show’s shift into the more alt-rock facets of Mallrat’s artistry; in a press release for the song’s release she stated if it were to be ‘released in 2004 I’d like to imagine it’d be on the O.C. soundtrack.’

This mood was continued with dreamy ballads from Mallrat’s earlier days such as Charlie andRockstar – tracks that paved the way for what would come next in her career that the audience knew word for word. The set then drew to a close with more standouts from the new album and the promise of an afterparty upstairs.

A solid mixture of classic and new songs, the show served as an insight into where Mallrat is today. With an adoring fanbase and a sound that only becomes more assured and skilful with each new release, Mallrat is only just getting started.