Die Twice Kick Off ‘Mascara Nights’ With Surprise Guest Nieve Ella
Die Twice and Nieve Ella in Mascara Bar, Stamford Hill. Image credit: Dorothea Forrester
If you’re looking for somewhere to spend your Friday night in North London, make your way to one of the residency nights at Mascara Bar for a pot-luck of special guests and music prioritised for the present.
There’s something very poetic about watching a bead of sweat fall down a singer’s face in the unnoticed silence of a song that the back of the room are talking over. The pause is so long you wonder if the band are going to give up the losing fight and stop playing it altogether.
There’s a look to the guitarist, brief and subtle, but a flicker of acknowledgement between them, somewhere between a nostril flare and a genuine smile… no one’s listening to us. Like the opening scene of a career-spanning documentary, the spotlight captures that trickling droplet, a pure, unfeignable stain of effort. But they do finish the song, performing the final chorus loud enough that it commands most people to listen. ‘I thought… this isn’t for them, this is for us…’, vocalist Olly Bayton reflected on the moment afterwards with sincerity.
Unfortunately for Die Twice, their audience do not owe them attention. Nor do any audience (that might be up for debate)... though larger artists do tend to find themselves performing to much more committed crowds. It’s the very first part of the process that the Exeter four-piece find themselves in; frustrating yes, but all the sweeter to win an audience over. Lewis Capaldi spoke of finding his voice in pubs with no choice but to sing loud, while last year Olivia Dean reminisced on playing to near-completely empty fields and rooms… now on her first arena tour.
At the back of Mascara Bar in Stamford Hall, where a tiny doorfront retreats further and further to a living-room style boudoir, Die Twice are preparing to perform at the first of three shows across April and May. Their London residency is a concept carried over from a successful run of ‘Mosquito Nights’ at Brighton’s Rossi Bar.
Drummer Jake Coles (left) and singer Olly Bayton (right) of Die Twice. Image Credit: Dorothea Forrester
The Irish pub, allegedly the testing ground for one of music’s most established rock acts, is unsuspecting as it is sweaty. ‘If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for you’, the landlady tells the band’s manager before thrusting a tambourine in his hand, after a request to use their own instruments. The stage can just about fit the bassist, guitarist and singer, as long as they don’t lift their elbows up at the same time. Drummer Jake Coles is cramped into an airless corner behind them, a wet head of hair at the end of their 40 minute set revealing he’s pulled the short-straw.
“‘He sounds like Jeff Buckley!’ someone whispers. There’s Buckley, there’s Radiohead, there’s Hozier, and there’s Bowie… all floating between the instruments like invisible omens. But Die Twice don’t inherently sound like anyone else, already carving out a distinctive resonance that is spearheaded by a shatteringly beautiful voice.”
It’s a rite of passage that some new bands don’t experience in the age of TikTok and Instagram – one viral cover or reel-ready hook can catapult an unknown name straight onto big stages, in-demand support slots, and with an explosive following that ultimately tapers off when it becomes clear there’s not yet a solid body of work or experience to keep the momentum growing.
Die Twice are going the opposite route. With faceless social media personas, and now their no-phone residencies, the tactic seems to slowly, authentically, drip-feed their emerging fans with just enough to keep them hooked on what’s next. Their music follows the same pattern, often opening with simple chords, singular notes and isolated vocals, before crashing into molten choruses and heavily textured instrumentals… then pulling back again.
This undulating performance style might not have its full effect when the quiet moments are disrupted by drunken chatter from the back of the bar, with curious locals peeping their heads round the curtain to see who’s making all the noise (not without a couple of passionate yells to Shut up! You’re listening to a GREAT band). But for those paying attention, it’s a deeply compelling sound… enough for those who aren’t to begin to simmer their conversations.
‘We wrote this song last week’, Bayton says, to an awkward silence. ‘No one wants to hear that’ splutters guitarist Billy Twamley, as him and bassist Finn Lloyd part the laughter and propel into another track. ‘He sounds like Jeff Buckley!’ someone whispers. There’s Buckley, there’s Radiohead, there’s Hozier, and there’s Bowie… all floating between the instruments like invisible omens. But Die Twice don’t inherently sound like anyone else, already carving out a distinctive resonance that is spearheaded by a shatteringly beautiful voice.
“The tactic seems to slowly, authentically, drip-feed their emerging fans with just enough to keep them hooked on what’s next. Their music follows the same pattern, often opening with simple chords, singular notes and isolated vocals, before crashing into molten choruses and heavily textured instrumentals… then pulling back again.”
Indie pop singer Nieve Ella led the charge for applause and encore calls, next being pulled onto the now-even-tinier stage to perform a duet of ‘Black Magic Woman’. Glass of wine in one hand, reading lyrics off her phone in the other, she strutted between the musicians and playfully made herself the song’s subject. Her collected stage presence gave the band permission to start performing; not just playing, and their sudden increase of confidence was the highlight of the set.
Leaning into the microphone to take one line at a time, the chemistry between the singers and their voices was like watching a scene from a French noir film; both amping each other up, and finally coaxing out Bayton’s potential (and perhaps previously inhibited desires) to bring out the drama within his movements and vocal deliveries.
Die Twice’ ‘Mascara Nights’ is a 3-night London residency with special guests. Image credit: Dorothea Forrester
‘Mascara Nights’ are an opportunity for Die Twice to experiment, to cut their teeth, and to introduce audiences to a set of largely unreleased music emerging as freshly as the band’s identity itself. But it won’t be for long that Londoners have the opportunity to catch them in such intimate, organic environments.
Die Twice recently announced their debut EP, ‘Accept Me Like A Lie’ coming at the end of May via FAE. It features two recent singles, ‘Jakobo’ and ‘Wishbone’ – a taste of confidence in a gripping direction. If you’re looking for somewhere to spend your Friday night in North London, make your way to one of the residency nights at Mascara Bar for a pot-luck of special guests and music prioritised for the present.