There’s something really special about Leeds in the summer – lazy days spent basking in the beautiful Yorkshire sun, culminating in picturesque sunsets washing over the city, all witnessed from the abundance of rooftop bars. That perfect summer day needs a perfect summer soundtrack, so it only seems fitting for Jakob Ogawa to bring his hazy, lo-fi bedroom pop to our beloved Headrow House on one of the warmest days of the year thus far.

The crowd may be somewhat sparse for the Norwegian artist, but it only makes the show all the more intimate; a whiplash tour of all his somewhat limited discography, Ogawa’s set showcases his honeyed vocals beautifully. Self-made producer Ogawa has a proficiency for making music so wistfully nostalgic that it becomes incredibly comforting. Admittedly, a lot of his songs began to blur into one another through course of his set, but I feel that this was borderline on his side – it creates the same sense of ease and allows the saccharine nature of songs like ‘Sunshine Girl’ and ‘You Might Be Sleeping’ to float over you mesmerisingly.

With an immensely talented band behind him, Ogawa manages to take the audience on a wave of emotions. Stripped down and raw, his songs all capture the same breezy, sun-tinted atmosphere as he lustfully recalls loves past and present. It feels criminal that the crowd is so small – with a song with Clairo under his belt, and almost immediately jetting off to Japan after completing his brief UK tour, there appears to be no stopping Jakob Ogawa at the moment. It only makes sense to catch him while you can. 

Header Image via DICE