On a balmy Sunday evening in Sydney, nearly 1000 music lovers crowded into the sold-out Factory Theatre in Marrickville to see Boston trio Tiny Habits in their first headline show in the city. After opening for Gracie Abrams on her Australian tour, earlier in the year, the group, who met at Berklee School of Music in 2021, had the opportunity here to showcase the breadth of their catalogue and to debut songs off their latest album, All For Something, for Australian audiences.

Unlike most concerts, where attendance is largely driven by notions of fandom, this was a concert primarily driven by musicality. This was a highly musical and knowledgeable crowd, who commented on harmonic and stylistic choices in between songs, appreciating the intricacies of the music. This was very much a concert by top musicians for fellow musicians.  

The trio play a whimsical brand of folk music which is underpinned by three-part harmony and backed up by a superb band. From the moment they stepped onto stage, the ethereality of the harmonies melted the room as the trio performed with precision and emotion. Their setlist was carefully crafted with the early songs flowing nicely from each other. Commencing the show with “Circling”, the unique blend of harmonies was on full display, with Judah Mayowa’s voice often floating higher in the mix than fellow singers Maya Rae and Cinya Khan. All three had their moments of brilliance throughout the show but they were at their best when they complemented each other, combining flawlessly throughout the set. 

One of the highlights of the set was when each performer played a song that they had written (ably supported by the rest of the trio and their band).  Rae’s “broken” was arguably the best song of the night, showcasing the most stunningly breathtaking vulnerability and fragility, both in its lyrics and in its music, in a manner very much reminiscent of early Sara Bareilles. However, the songs that followed, being “Malleable” and “Planting Flowers” were equally as good, showing the versatility of the group through their songwriting. 

The harmonies were at their absolute best on “Wishes”, which was probably also the moment where the beauty of Mayowa’s voice in its upper register was given the most space to shine. The set really was a collection of ‘wow’ moments back to back, so it was hard to believe that things could keep getting better but the trio found new dimensions to which to take the set as they progressed. 

The crowd was fully immersed in the night, providing huge ovations between songs to a degree that astounded the trio. 

“This is maybe the best crowd we’ve ever had,” said Rae. “I don’t think you realise how truly insane this is for us. We were just three buddies singing in stairwells and on dorm room floors so to be here less than four years later on our own freakin’ headline tour of Australia, it wasn’t even on the radar.”

Given how breathtaking the music was throughout, some of the awkward interactions between songs were made even more endearing. After a technical difficulty, Mayowa was stuck having to tell a knock-knock joke which definitely didn’t land but was brushed off with charm. 

“I get paid to sing not to talk,” he said as the crowd laughed. 

This was the perfect segue into the two covers that the trio performed, being “Somewhere Only We Know” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide.” Both songs had the crowd singing along as the trio added a new dimension to the songs with flawless harmonies. It was a great way to add variety and balance to their already outstanding set. 

The show closed with their latest hit “For Sale Sign”, which was sung with opening act Sidney before leaving the audience with an encore number of “tiny things.” With yet more flawless vocals, it was the perfect way to end a gorgeous night of music, with three incredible vocalists whose stars are certainly on the rise. This was musicianship at its finest and an absolute pleasure for the many musos in the audience who were transfixed by the quality of the gig. This band is an absolute must watch, both now and well into the future. 

Rating: ★★★★★

Tiny Habits – Enmore Theatre – 1st December 2024

Photo credit: Tyler Krippaehne