The British trio brings their new album, Friends, overseas.

Last Thursday saw the much-anticipated New York return of the London-based outfit White Lies, who played an intimate yet lively set at the popular Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn.

Hailing from Ealing, London White Lies enjoyed some substantial success – their debut album To Lose My Life reached Number 1 in the UK album chart. The group, who has clearly also established a fairly decent name for themselves across the pond, performed an hour and a half long set in front of an eager crowd.

The new material from trio’s fourth studio album, Friends, received a warm reception. We were presented with the opening track Take It Out On Me, their latest single Don’t Want To Feel It All and a multi-layered nostalgic offering Morning in LA. However, it was their earlier fan favourites such as Farewell To The Fairground, Big TV and Bigger Than Us of course, that met with the audience singing back every word.

The band, whose self-described sound is ‘uplifting and euphoric’, seemed more than happy to be back on the live stage after a 3-year hiatus whilst they were working on new material. When frontman Harry McVeigh announced that it had been a long time since the band had performed in the US, it was met with replies of ‘too long!’ from the audience, followed by loud clapping and cheers.

It seems that the group has established a small yet loyal fan base in the USA that hasn’t slumped during their time away. For a UK based indie band, gaining momentum in America is never an easy feat and White Lies are proving that even with the ever-increasing number of competition, with catchy and uplifting songs, it can still be achieved.

During the performance, there was little participation with the audience in between songs, aside from a several ‘thank you’s and brief introductions when playing new tracks. Perhaps they felt it unnecessary as the mature crowd seemed gripped throughout, perhaps they were slightly overwhelmed with just how much so. Every thank you seemed sincere – for a band to remain quiet for a few years both in their home country and also in the USA, one of the largest music markets in the world, and still hold a fan-base upon their return, must be humbling, and they made no effort to hide it.

This Williamsburg gig has been only their second in their upcoming 15-date US run, so towards the end the band may become more comfortable. It does have to be said however that McVeigh’s voice is still as powerful as before and sings with incredible confidence.

The show ended with a bow from all 5 performing members and is followed by a chorus of loving cheers. In a career originating almost 10 years ago, White Lies seem to have successfully captured the indie audience in one of the most exciting cities in the world, and have proven that their earlier music is capable of standing the test of time. Now that their new album is in circulation, it will be very interesting to see how their career and fan-base expands.

Photos: Katie Willoughby