London Grammar — Live on KEXP, Seattle, 2013

Recorded on 30 September 2013 at the KEXP radio studios in Seattle, USA, this live session captures London Grammar at the very start of its rise. The British trio — Hannah Reid on vocals, Dan Rothman on guitar and Dot Major on keys and percussion — had just released its debut album, If You Wait. In KEXP’s stripped-back setting, the group delivers a short but dense full performance of three songs, “Hey Now,” “Strong” and “Interlude,” that foreground its signature: a deep, expansive voice set against minimalist arrangements, poised between hushed trip-hop and atmospheric pop. The KEXP recording, known for its unadorned camerawork, leaves room for the trio’s dynamics and for the grain of Hannah Reid’s voice, often compared to Florence Welch and to British soul. This live footage documents a pivotal moment — an act still emerging in 2013, before the international success of “Strong” and “Wasting My Young Years.” For listeners tracing London Grammar’s arc, the session is a valuable record of the band’s earliest, most restrained period and of KEXP’s role in showcasing new artists.