Golden white lights crisscross the ceiling adding a cozy ambience to the otherwise industrial space that is the Stone Fox, a trendy bar and restaurant in West Nashville, Tenn.
A wooden plank stage immediately commands attention with a red backdrop accented by silver streamers. In what seems like the middle of nowhere, the Stone Fox is truly a hidden gem as a music venue where up-and-coming performers like Lily & Madeleine have a chance to hone their performance skills.
Wednesday night, fresh-faced indie-folk pop duo Lily & Madeleine were set to hit the stage at 10 p.m. for the late night show.
For a cold Wednesday night, the room was surprisingly full, every table was taken.
The chit chat that filled the room came to a hush as Lily & Madeleine’s opening act, Shannon Hayden, began playing her electric cello. Hayden, who also played with the duo later in the night, had a dreamy, out-of-this-world sound. She looped light, airy vocals over ethereal cello parts mixed with electronic beats to create a sound fitting of the Twilight Zone soundtrack.
From the start of the night, it was clear this show was going to be very different from your typical Nashville concert.
After Shannon’s set, the room remained at a low murmur until Lily & Madeleine hit the stage. Yet again, a hush fell over the crowd as the girls started in on their set.
The sisters held a demure countenance as the opening chords to their first song filled the room. No one knew what to expect. You could have heard a pin drop from the silent intrigue.
Then, they started to sing, and it was clear why the Stone Fox filled the room on a Wednesday night. Lily & Madeleine has the voices of angels.
The girls can go from perfect unison to intricate harmony in zero to 60.
As the set picked up, the nerves seemed to wear off as the sisters began to play themselves into another world, taking the audience with them.
Highlights of the night included the old-soul nature of their voices during their song “April” and the soul-searching power of their song “Back to the River.”
At the end of their set, Lily & Madeleine said thank you with a nod and a smile, quickly exiting the stage. While the sisters seemed a little shy of the bright lights, they are at the start of a promising journey of musical discovery.