Music lovers of all ages in Vermont will be able to appreciate the return of the Backside 405 outdoor concert series, a collaboration between Higher Ground and Burlington City Arts.
On a cloudy Wednesday in Burlington, Vermont, Faye Webster kicked off the series with a bang, and I had the pleasure of visiting at the perfect time to attend. The concert opened with Burlington native Ivamae whom I had never heard of before the show. However, her soulful, folky vibe had me searching on Spotify mere minutes after her set. She played several unreleased songs that had me itching for more, but you can find her most recent album, Tender Meat, on Spotify and Apple Music. Her vocals were soft and smoldering as she sang about failed relationships and possible future love, which was the perfect introduction for the main act.
Webster, based out of Atlanta, Georgia, is an up-and-coming multi-talented creative. Her style combines the indie folk genre with anxiety & humor, thus creating relatable and alluring songs. Although she has a twangy indie voice, she still pulls inspiration from artists of other genres. Webster cites the R&B queen Aaliyah as one of her formative influences, which is very prominent as you listen to her yearnful love songs. You can also hear the impact of her family’s affinity for bluegrass and Americana music.
She started the show with her song “Better Distractions” from her fourth album, I Know I’m Funny Haha. This song details a moment of lethargy and unrequited love as she can’t seem to get herself to do anything and continues asking, “Will you be with me?”. She performed about 15 songs, including fan favorites “Right Side of My Neck” and “In a Good Way.”
Her soft voice isn’t solely for her music. As she began interacting with the crowd, I noticed she was as soft-spoken as you would think from her music. She enjoyed fan signs and art given to her by those lucky fans who were front row. Webster even joked about the “Walmart Yodeling Kid” Mason Ramsey, who she discussed now works at Subway making sandwiches.
She closed out the night with an encore of her song “Kingston,” which Tiktokers utilize for various trends. This specific tune has racked up over thirty-three thousand videos using the song on the social media app. The part of the song going viral is the line “He said baby, that’s what he called me, I love you,” which is one of her many spoken word one-liners that makes her songs that much more intriguing.
Webster’s most recent release is an EP titled Car Therapy Sessions, full of new and reworked songs. Her use of orchestral arrangement blew me away as I listened and felt enveloped by the string section. I would consider this to be Faye Webster’s best vocals yet, and if you haven’t checked her out yet, I would highly recommend doing so before she’s everyone’s new favorite artist.
