Sheppard is composed of siblings George, Amy and Emma Sheppard, with Jay Bovino on rhythm guitar (Jay also co-writes with Amy and George), Michael Butler on lead guitar, and Dean Gordon on drums. George and Amy share vocals, with Amy doing percussion and harmonica, George on piano, and Emma on backing vocals and bass guitar. Initially formed in 2009, this current formation has been together since 2012.
Opening with “Hold My Tongue”, which was released in Australia in 2013, Sheppard let the audience know what we were going to be in for. An energetic song, it nonetheless has dark overtones, with lyrics such as,
“I’m hoping somebody’s gonna hold my tongue.
Oh yes I’m hoping somebody’s gonna hide my gun.”
If there’s one thing you can say about Sheppard it’s that they’re energetic. The Australian 6-piece were in London for one night only and gave a power-packed performance at Soho’s The Borderline on 23 March to launch their album, “Bombs Away”.
More energy followed with “Smile”, which has just been unlocked on iTunes UK, and the theme continued with “Let Me Down Easy”. It has a very South Pacific feel to it, and I’m half inclined to think it’s a product of the Sheppard siblings’ childhood in New Guinea.
Sheppard had the audience (by now filling the entire dance floor of The Borderline) clapping and singing along – it’s a rollocking sing-along tune which was still earworming with me the following morning.