ARUM RAE ROCKS MERCURY LOUNGE

Arum Rae may be one of the most diversely talented young songwriters in music today. Most of you haven’t heard of her, as she spends most of her days nestled away in Virgina where her family lives, but you’ve heard the Berklee grad’s songwriting on shows like Nashville and most likely soon to be more as she’s recently signed with a major label to bring her incredible sound to the masses.

While we’ve still got time before a new project of hers comes out, Friday night was all about now with Arum, and right now features her on tour with a new band; including Pavement’s Steve West on drums. Spending the first night of a seven-date east coast tour in NYC, Arum and her new band showed no signs of weakness as the crunch of her indie-style pop and Americana music filled the packed venue to get everyone’s blood pumping with a late-night set. Playing a mix of songs off her two 2014 EPs, Warranted Queen and Waving Wild, and a few new songs that will be on an upcoming project.

Arum Rae

Like the true talent she is, her laid back persona didn’t hurt to keep her relatable to her audience, but her music puts her on a throne of creative wonder and awe. Working incredibly in-sync with her band, you’d never think that it was their first time playing together. Her and Steve (West) have known each other for years – Arum used to babysit his kids in return for studio time – and it showed in their rhythmic chemistry as the two lead the band through a killer set late in the hours of a Friday night in nitty, gritty, New York City.