The airy hum of the air-con is the first act as I walked into an empty band room at Melbourne’s Northcote Social Club. Seagull, known off-stage as Chris Bolton, quietly slips onto the stage twenty minutes late and is hit with a spotlight. I make out what could be the hood cut off an old raincoat, which he wears with pride. He’s without band members and begins, seemingly apprehensive, after a quick and public check of the intensity of his hand trembles. The songs are minimalistic, his voice unsteady. It seems it could break any second. But this doesn’t detract from the music; rather gives it a chilling quality. Seagull’s set is intimate and fragile, interspersed with powerful heavy strums and vocal light and shade. A violent Napoleon Dynamite-esque convulsion between songs leaves the audience unsure of whether to laugh, clap, or side-glance awkwardly at each other. An acoustic version of Dust Storm is a stand out. Only four songs long, the set was too short to fully showcase Bolton’s talent. Seagull is an acquired taste. Well, this performance was. Bolton’s shows with band accompaniment produce a more solid performance. Being placed in front of the wrong crowd could have disastrous outcomes. This set was haunting and quite strange, but enjoyable.

Second act OtoUto, headed by former solo artist Hazel Brown, could fall into the ever-expanding Melbourne pop/folk scene, but they don’t. They have a fresh and jazzy edge, immediately making them stand out as a definite act to watch. They open with the quirky Needs A Name Sushi Song. Hazel sings ‘I mistook a man eating sushi for a man putting on a fake moustache’. Her lyrics continue this descriptive, story-like narrative throughout her set, which, combined with her honey-like voice and vocal harmonies with younger sister Martha prove a talented and worthy combination. An array of instruments fills out the sound and adds to their edge. These include finger picked violins, pots and pans as makeshift percussion and a drumstick-hit banjo. This could have easily become messy, but it didn’t. They were a tight band – Hazel on electric guitar, Martha on keyboards and Kishore Ryan on drum kit – making for a unique and highly enjoyable set. Me and Autumn and Tennis Players were intimate and stylish ballads with sweet lyrics. On the whole, OtoUto’s set varies from quite detailed compositions and lyrics to songs pinned completely on one-liners, as heard in Plum. OtoUto were offbeat, with quick changes and fun and heartfelt compositions. I look forward to an album release.

Next came the headliner – McKisko – stage name of Brisbane artist Helen Franzmann. Tonight was the first of a string of shows launching her debut album Glorio. The audience quickly got off the bandroom floor and gathered closely at the foot of the stage. McKisko’s Bjorkish voice hit soaring notes, breaking smoothly into falsetto and piercing through backup instruments. The use of loop pedals added the sounds of virtual band members to the two-person show (Simon on drum kit), filling out the room. Songs varied from intense, unique ballads like How We Are, to hoof-like up-beats in Difficult Crossing.

Her between-song chatter offered a sweet and shy persona. Four songs in, McKisko moved from keyboard to acoustic guitar for the night’s standout for me, Populace, which coerced the couple beside me into a loving embrace. Tongue-twister lyrics forced her to stop momentarily mid-song and re-attempt, but the audience quickly forgave her with quiet laughter, and the innocent error added to a charming stage presence.

Mid-set the audience sat again, Mexican-wave style from the front to the back of the room. McKisko agreed: ‘It’s not really dancing music.’ No, definitely not. Her sparse style featured songs dominated by her shivery voice and filled with light and shade. Slightly off-key high-hit notes sliced through the room, and between vocals the hum of the air-con became incorporated into the songs. Her final song was a more traditionally melodic and sweet ballad and saw a return to the keyboard.

McKisko is a talented songwriter, but her unique style may limit her fan base. If you do like McKisko’s sound then you’ll definitely enjoy her live shows. It was a solid performance and she has a mighty powerful voice when she wants to.