Ella Vos – The Shelter – 4.17.19

On April 17th Ella Vos brought her “Watch & Wait” tour to the shelter in Detroit, MI with help from Clara Mae.

Sometimes it’s hard to find a real connection with an audience being so far from home but that wasn’t the case for Sweden’s own Clara Mae. Her open and personal stage presence makes her feel like a hometown hero everywhere she goes and Detroit was no exception.

With stories from her home town in Sweden before just about each song she performed, the set felt more like a big meet and greet rather than the quintessential “opening set.”

Songs like “Lost” and “I’m Not Her” allow fans to see a vulnerable side of Clara. The standout of the night for her had to be her original “Tapped Up Heart.” Beforehand, she explained that on a train home in Sweden her phone died and she ended up having a conversation with someone on the train. While getting off the train she spotted an ad that was ripped on the wall and repaired with tape. She got home and immediately started writing.

It’s safe to say if the people in attendance didn’t know who Clara Mae was beforehand, they knew after.

Ella Vos graced the stage next. With angelic grace she immediately opened with the opening track of the EP, “Ocean.” The vibe that was given off was the first thing that surprised me; with amazing lighting and smoke effects, the whole experience felt warm.

Almost nostalgic in a way, like everyone in the room had been in this moment before.

Ella exudes carefree fun which is evident from the way she danced around stage singing cuts from the EP and her first album, Words I Never Said.

Ella’s exceptional songwriting adds to the experience. While listening to the lyrics you can tell that what she writes comes from personal highs, lows, heartbreaks and triumphs. Examples of that are scattered all over her latest EP where she chronicles battling and defeating lymphoma.

The highlight was simply her talking and connecting with the audience. At one point stopping the music, asking everyone to put their hands up in the air and shout “I am strong enough,” three times.

It takes talent to walk strangers through the tragedies of your own personal life and have them feel as if they were there. Talent is something that Ella Vos undoubtedly has and I am excited to see how she grows and adapts as an artist and human. Be sure to catch Ella and Clara on the rest of their tour as well as the festival circuit this year.

–

Clara Mae

Ella Vos