By Darren Grayer.
C Duncan burst onto the music scene in 2015, with his Mercury Prize nominated debut album, Architect. He is classically trained as a musician, as are his mother and father, who both feature as backing musicians on some of his music, which I would describe as dreamy, textured pop that is filled with lush choral harmonies.
This is his second visit to Southampton and he’s here at Heartbreakers (31/1/25) as part of Independent Venues Week promoting his latest (5th) album, It’s Only A Love Song, which was released last week.
He does sometimes perform with a band of backing musicians, but tonight it’s just him with laptop, keyboard, and guitar.
He starts by telling the audience that he’s still getting used to playing his latest material live and asks for forgiveness if mistakes are made before breaking into the title track from the new album.
“I tried to leave you ’cause it don’t feel the same, I only want to think of yesterday”. There has always been a romantic theme running through Duncan’s music over the years, and he admits to wearing his emotions on his sleeve.
Next up is Bell Toll from 2022’s Alluvium, with its beautiful piano riff and melody, followed by Other Side, from 2016’s The Midnight Sun. First song of the set from Architect is Say, complete with whistling part. Next is recent single Think About It, which he feels relieved to get through as it’s the most challenging song of the set to play, apparently.
Duncan comes across as a very thoughtful person, totally appreciative of his audience. He takes time to thank them between every song. Excellent support band, Mid-Air, the sound engineer, and the staff at Heartbreakers also mentioned during his set.
It’s when he abandons the keyboards and picks up his classical acoustic guitar that we get a true glimpse of C Duncan’s immense ability to perform so intimately. There is total silence for Architect’s closing track, I’ll Be Gone By Winter. A song that wraps itself around you like a warm blanket on the coldest of days.
For is another song that features a whistling part, something that he carries out with stunning effect. Again, it’s from Architect, but I don’t think anyone’s going to complain about hearing a good helping of material from a debut album that holds its own with so many released in the last 20 years.
Back to the keyboard to play a small mixture of songs, old and new, before picking the guitar back up to close with The Wedding Song, from Alluvium. Again, it is performed to complete silence. An appropriate ending to a wonderfully engaging set, given Duncan married his partner recently.
So, all seems well in C Duncan’s life currently. He does a good trade at the merch stall, and I get to have a quick chat with him, which only helps cement my thoughts about him being a lovely, warm, and engaging person. I don’t keep him too long though as he has to be up bright and early to be interviewed by Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie on their BBC 6 Music show the next morning.
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