American pianist-singer to perform at the Dome

ORCHESTRAL POP: American pianist-singer Shenandoah Davis brings her world-class sound to the Dome on Saturday.

Orchestral pop is an appropriate description of American pianist-singer Shenandoah Davis’ captivating, sound. Her voice brings to mind the quavering, fragile, about-to-break delivery of Kate Bush, and of Julee Cruise (Twin Peaks), but her piano playing and arrangements are hard to define.

“At first listen, you get an American chamber pop vibe from Shenandoah Davis, but below the surface is deep pocket symphony style production,” says one reviewer.

Davis’ voice lingers in the room long after her recordings have stopped, enthuses Portland Mercury’s Raquel Nasser.

“She’s bound to leave you longing for more of the drama she creates when her otherwise demure croon scales the cliff face of the higher registers, and then rappels back down with a stunning restraint.”

The classically trained pianist and singer’s show at the Dome on Saturday coincides with the release of her latest album, Souvenirs, a breakup album, but not in the traditional sense.

Souvenirs delves into breakups both personal and professional, romantic and platonic, intimate and inanimate, and sheds light upon seemingly inconsequential occurrences.

“I picked out a lot of little memories — moments both significant and insignificant that had gotten stuck in my head for one reason or another,” says Davis. “Moments where I realised because of a weird look or a too-long pause or an off-topic question things were not going to work out in my favour in the end.” Shenandoah Davis performs at the Dome Room on Saturday at 8pm. Presales from Aviary $15, or $20 on the door.

We are spoiled with top acts such as Shenandoah Davis making a detour to perform in Gisborne, and with New Zealand singer-songwriter Ciaran McMeeken who performs at the Dome tonight.

“Such great artists and such cheap shows,” says Dome hosr Sally Shanks. “Come on Gisborne. This is world class stuff.”