On a frigid Friday evening, hundreds of people crammed into the Brooklyn Bazaar just after sunset. A seemingly endless line of 20-somethings stretched throughout the front lobby of the venue, with still more outside on Jan. 26. A sign taped on the door read “Snail Mail – Sold Out.”
An indie rock band from Ellicott City, Maryland, Snail Mail is finally headlining their own tour in 2018. This comes after previously touring with the Los Angeles-based Girlpool and Brooklyn’s own Beach Fossils. Snail Mail is fronted by singer and lead guitarist Lindsey Jordan, with other band members including bassist Alex Garfield and drummer Ray Brown.
In September of 2017, the band was signed to Matador Records, an independent label located in SoHo, Manhattan. Matador is known for signing artists such as Pavement, Yo La Tengo, Belle and Sebastian, Perfume Genius, Queens of the Stone Age and Car Seat Headrest. Snail Mail’s 2016 EP, “Habit,” was released on Bandcamp to critical acclaim.
After the opening acts, including Lomelda, an indie band from Texas, and Fits, a pop-punk band from Brooklyn, it was time for Snail Mail to take the stage.
“Hey New York!” lead singer Jordan called to the crowd with a smile. “I love y’all.” From their sold-out show in the heart of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, it was clear that the band is confidently breaking onto the indie music scene.
With heartfelt lyrics regarding adolescence, Jordan had her audience clinging onto every word, phrase and euphonious solo on her red Fender. Highlights of the show included the opener, “Dirt,” and other tracks from the “Habit” EP; “Slug,” “Thinning” and “Static Buzz.”
During the encore of “Static Buzz,” Jordan changed into a shirt with the title across the front. The group also performed a number of new and unreleased songs.
After their concert in Brooklyn, Snail Mail will continue their Winter 2018 tour, ending in Jordan’s home state of Maryland at the end of March.
Along the way, they are set to perform at Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, an annual music festival in Indio, California. They will take the festival stage on April 15th and 22nd, as well as release an album with their label later this year.
