Carla J. Easton @ The Hug & Pint, Glasgow, 3 Aug

“I’ve got a lot of shit exes,” Carla J. Easton deadpans midway through her headline Glasgow show. While you have to feel sorry for her on a personal level, the resulting burst of creativity seems to outweigh the heartache. The prolific songwriter has barely stood still over recent years, with 2020’s WEIRDO contributing several songs to tonight’s set. Her Poster Paints project with Frightened Rabbit’s Simon Lidell also drew critical acclaim last year. 

Tonight feels like as much like a feminist statement as a gig, with a lineup of three female-fronted acts. Kohla brings her orchestral neo-pop to a pin-drop crowd, while Ruby Gaines ups the volume with a set of Lucinda Williams-tinged Scottish soul. She also wins the prize for best between-song banter, somehow making tuning her guitar funnier than some Fringe headliners. 

Carla J. Easton is the main event though, and she’s keen to underline that her new album is entirely self-produced. It’s a bold move from an artist who has never been afraid to use electronics to augment her pop dreams. Live, it’s clear that the melodies are driving the tracks rather than just flashy kit or trendy samples; it brings to mind the kind of sound that Life Without Buildings might have developed if they had made the pure pop record many would have loved to hear. 

Image: Carla J. Easton @ The Hug & Pint, Glasgow, 3 Aug by Chris Hogge

WEIRDO's title track is followed by new number Be OK, which already feels like it could be one of the big moments on forthcoming album Sugar Honey, due in October. Easton clearly loves playing with her four bandmates; it's very much a group effort rather than a solo show tonight. Between the songs, the icing sugar delivery of the tracks is offset by the reality behind some of the lyrics – walking home alone after dark, performing as a female artist, and yes, those shitty exes.  

Before a triumphant Blooming 4U – her latest single – Easton has more advice for the audience: “This song is a reminder that you should just be yourself – and not someone that they want you to be to fill the void that’s in their lack of self.” While the feminist intent rings true, the audience is still predominantly ‘6Music Dads’, and we can’t help but think that Easton might have been happier to see more girls down the front. For all that, an artist this creative and prolific will surely not wait long to attract the wider fanbase they clearly deserve.