During her first headline tour, Victoria Canal brought emotional depth, witty commentary and relatable energy to Songbyrd Music House on March 25. Both Canal and her opener, Lucy Clearwater, touched on a variety of topics, from friendship to grief to breakups, producing complementary sets that established a uniquely reflective and classically indie vibe. Both artists were incredibly interactive with the audience, which worked well with the smaller venue of Songbyrd and added to the experience of the show.

After opening for Hozier last summer and releasing her new single “Chamomile,” a platonic love song about Clearwater, who doubles as her best friend, this Washington, D.C., show marks the fifth stop of this spring’s tour. Seeing Canal supported by her two childhood best friends in the audience, I felt like I got a true snapshot into Canal’s life and personality. The emotional depth in her pieces is palpable even without the courtesy of her explanations to the audience. 

Canal has a true talent for capturing the human experience in song: Whether it be the pain of losing loved ones or the adventure of falling in love in Spain, the range of expression seen in her music is remarkable. She is able to draw from her unique lived experiences to effectively share her story through music and I was honored to have the opportunity to experience this show. I was excited to have the opportunity to talk to her before the show and can say that the genuine kindness and love for her art that comes across on stage is reflected one-on-one as well.

Clearwater set the tone with her short but sweet opening set. Finishing up with “When You’re Down,” the sister song to “Chamomile,” she introduced the themes of Victoria’s show well. I mean, who better to have as an opener than your best friend?

Victoria played a range of released and unreleased music, including one cover of “Motion Sickness” by Phoebe Bridgers. Both Clearwater and Canal’s tour manager, Andrew Leib, played backup, with Clearwater playing the guitar and violin and Leib playing the bass guitar and cello. They had devoted fans in the audience, from Canal’s childhood best friends from Spain to audience members who had been at previous tour stops and were able to request specific unreleased songs by name. These interactions definitely added to the friendly and intimate feeling of the venue and the night as a whole.

I do wish to have seen more of her vocal range throughout the night; Canal has a powerful voice that wasn’t highlighted until the end of her set, when she played some of her deeper pieces in addition to some unreleased music that showcased her vocal strength. Although I can appreciate the airy lyricism that comes with the indie genre, my personal preference will always be towards hearing raw passion from artists, which I definitely heard out of Canal Monday night — I only wish there was more of it.

This was one of the most genuine shows I have been to in a while — both Clearwater and Canal’s interactions with the audience were deeply personal and open. This gave such a refreshing tone to the night and made the overall atmosphere of the show quite relaxing despite the heavier nature of some of Canal’s songs. I hope she records her unreleased songs soon, as I think they would be very strong additions to her body of work and I look forward to what she continues to write!