Alt-pop artist Erin LeCount told us about her Sampha experience...
Erin LeCount: The best gig I’ve ever experienced was when I went to Hackney Church to see Sampha with my beautiful friend Ella. This was just before he dropped Lahai, the last album, and so nobody in the crowd knew any of the words yet. It was our first time hearing the songs. He’s in the round, on the stage in the centre of the church, we’re on pews looking down. This music completely fills the room, and Sampha’s shadow is cast all along the back wall of the church - flickering and dancing and playing with the light. His band members shadows join him in a circle and there’s such synergy between them all, it’s like you’re watching people who have forgotten you’re there, they’re so immersed in each other and the rhythm and the moment.
He played the song “Can’t Go Back” which at the time was unreleased, and he looked up towards us mid song. He pointed directly at us and sang the words “can’t go back” over and over. I cried - a few weeks beforehand I had just gone through a pretty heavy breakup with someone I’d loved a long time and been on and off with for many years. I was watching my favourite artist, hearing the perfect words in the perfect moment, starting something entirely new, and I just felt in that moment that I’d got confirmation I needed, the ultimate comfort and serendipity from an artist who had soundtracked all those years we were together. Sampha really is one of the most important artists of my life and that show marked the beginning of something totally new for me personally.
Erin LeCount's PAREIDOLIA EP is out now.
Photo by Furmaan Ahmed
