Odette Takes You On Tour At UK's The Great Escape

Having just wowed fans at UK's The Great Escape last month, Sydney-based songwriter Odette has penned an exclusive tour diary about her performances and experiences at the festival. 

Here's what went down on the road.

Liam, James and I arrived in Brighton on the 17th of May to play The Great Escape. It’s a gorgeous town and none of us had ever been there before. We arrived at our accommodation and settled in. Brighton is small and easy to navigate so James and I ended up hiring some bikes and riding them around, to get a better feel of the town. Our first show was at the Sallis Benney theatre that night and it was really exciting. The band and I explored a little during the day, ventured to the pier, before loading in. We sound checked at 6pm and played at 6.30. It was a decent sized room and Cas, who was doing the sound, had really nailed it. Everything was sounding great and the show itself, I think, went really well. After the show we headed back to our accommodation and began preparing for the next few days.

On the 19th of May, we played The Beach House for our second and final performance at The Great Escape. Liam accidentally destroyed his snare drum an hour before our show so we ended up having to borrow one. It was stressful but also quite funny. The tent next to the beach where we played was crowded. There were a lot of people at this show, which made me a little nervous but mostly very excited. Glenn gave us a warm introduction before the show and then we were on. We ran the same set list as the first show but this performance felt like the best one of the two. The energy was higher. After the show I rushed off stage, buzzing with that post-show adrenaline high. We then all headed back to our accommodation and began packing for our journey back to London.

Our journey to London was long but I slept for most of it. We arrived at our accommodation in Islington, just around the corner from the venue. On the night of the show, we were all over the moon. The prospect of playing our first ever headline show in London was exhilarating and I found myself positively overwhelmed. At the show, my father had brought my grandad and there were many beloved family members and friends who had attended. My friend Parissa, who was staying with us, travelled from Paris. The show itself I felt was a tremendous success. I was the most confident I had been the entire trip and felt completely at ease on the stage. James and Liam agreed that this show was great. Maybe it was the performance or the audience but there was truly something special about that entire night.

At the end of my performance, there was a call for an encore. I walked back to the stage, alone this time, and performed my cover of Zombie by The Cranberries, to pay homage to the late Dolores O’Riordan. When I left the stage for the final time there was a round of applause. One guy, who wasn’t standing, stood from his seat which was very lovely.

All in all, this entire trip has been wonderful. I have never felt closer with the band and with myself as an artist and person. I’ve been very grateful for these experiences.

Odette's debut album, To A Stranger, is due out on 6 July via EMI Music Australia.