Déyyess At Camden Assembly: Review
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Words by Miles Milton Jeffries
Our headliner Déyyess, once Arsenal ladies’ youth prospect, now turned indie pop megastar in the making, is sold out for the night at Camden Assembly; and her young, passionate fandom is there long before doors open; leaving support Bekah Bossard in awe. It’s an emotional indie gig that dips into the intimacy of queerness; capturing the vibe of something akin to an end-of-term afterparty, with the artist building that support from her viral tiktok stories about unrequited crushes weaving them in songs; something akin to what Paige Kennedy is currently doing; citing My Bloody Valentine as inspiration for how she got here. This has also led to her being discovered by Abbie McCarthy and a prestigious place on Five Day Forecast’s tastemaker week, on a path that’s always fun to watch artists take that next step post - because if they show up at Five Day Forecast, chances are, they’re going to be big.
Bossard I’ve seen once before supporting Prima Queen at Islington Assembly Hall, who can chart her path from places as varied as LA, Exeter and now London, Her growth has earned the support slots with confidence; making the most out of What You Wanted, her debut; which feels like it recalls a longing for California as much as it does Exeter. It evokes a calm, relaxing vibe – a late evening stroll among the beach that’s as applicable to Devon as it is the United States. It’s a metaphor, of course – for discovering her own sexual identity and evolution, the rejection that she faced when coming out as queer and acknowledging that she can’t change some minds; some people just don’t want to listen. It demonstrates the process of the grief of losing relationships, embracing oneself and marking your own identity. With inspiration pulled from Phoebe Bridgers, it’s easy to see the depth and progress charted in evolution – a confident whimsical nature that embraces the floaty sound head on. The pull and emotional waves of In Your Head explores the fallout of a breakup; and going through the emotions in your head pulling you down – Bossard describes the feeling of apology; but ultimately rising above that apology and moving on; the right people will tolerate and embrace who you are. As supports go, there couldn’t be a better pairing.
Main act Déyyess takes the stage, and we’re done before 10 which is ideal for a Wednesday gig (though honestly? I could’ve watched another half an hour; but that will come with more material). It’s pop princess magic that has a feel of a quieter; Boygenius-stylised tone. Silverlake Baby and tracks like Lips Like Sugar are deployed with a sense of honest yearning and development of feelings “I didn’t ever wanna leave / silver lake baby // she never came looking for me” – they feel like raw heartbreak personified in album form “I miss my hand in her jeans” allows her to capture that sense of longing and tenderness; a sense of yearning for what is lost; “there’s no fun in smoking alone” captures what’s meant to be a shared act rather than a solo one. It asks why the break-up continues to linger – long after it’s ended, and that despite it all; the person on the receiving end will never know.
Her album Would You Go Down on a Girl? Gets the run-out here, as Déyyess gives her own story – an emotional one, to others – allowing her to reflect her feelings and pour them out on stage. Her influences are evident in her tracks – Kate Bush, a huge early career driver, as is Lana del Rey, who is felt everywhere on this live show. It feels stripped back, intimate and emotional, yet at times sonically powerful and a soft balance between the two. It’s more intense than Bossard but thematically similar; leading into crowd-pleasing singalong for the final song of the set – the album title; which gets a lot of cheers from the crowd. It’s a dreamy, emotional evening that feels powerful and rewarding – easy to chart her evolution as a rising star that brings her to the forefront of one of the most emotionally gifted voices of queer pop. Her experimental debut allows her to switch between crushes, heartbreak and emotional confusion with effortless ease – showing the sense of self-discovery and vulnerability.
Déyyess has arrived at the perfect time in the wake of the success of artists like Christine and the Queens and Chappell Roan bringing queer-led storytelling to the forefront of pop culture. Helped by the confidence-builder of a tour with Alessi Rose, she’s unafraid to jump into the middle of the crowd and form a circle around her. No pits, of course – but this emotional connection with the artist is incredible. It’s the final night of her headline tour and couldn’t have wished for a more emotionally rewarding send-off.
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