Suki Waterhouse brings a little bit of Loveland to NYC

Suki Waterhouse turned downtown New York into her own personal “loveland” this week ahead of the release of her sophomore album Loveland set to release on July 10th.

The week started off strong with an intimate show at Mercury Lounge, one of New York’s most iconic music venues on the Lower East Side. There was an uncharacteristic serenity that loomed over the venue as the sun started to set. The entry way into Mercury Lounge is incredibly narrow, usually it’s hard to get inside without colliding into some new age hipster dude bro. Audience members were let in one at a time to Waterhouse’s event, there was no pushing or shoving. No spilled beer making the soles of your shoes stick to the floor. It was like entering a sacred space in a way.

The stage was lit in all pink as excited conversation began to ripple through the crowd that was slowly engulfing the room. When Waterhouse took to the stage in her ruffly pink mini dress, she seemed to float through the space; the stage lights engulfing her in a soft blue halo. The setlist cycled through old favorites such as “Moves,” “OMG,” and “Good Looking,” in addition to debuting a few songs from the new era. Most memorable was the track “18,” a collaboration with King Princess who made a special guest appearance at the end of the set.

Tuesday night, Waterhouse sent out invitations to a small group of fans and returned to the lower east side for a Loveland listening party and game night at The Flower Shop. The Flower Shop is the location where Waterhouse filmed the music video for her song “Dream Woman” last year. When you walked down the stairs to the bar, you were greeted by a sign with “Welcome to Loveland” written on it in swirling red cursive lettering. The bar had themed cocktails and a special menu of snacks for the evening.

Each table was littered with stickers, tiny raisins, polaroids, and rice crispy treats. In the center of each was a copy of the Loveland board game, which can be found on the gatefold of the Loveland vinyl. The game itself is like a combination of monopoly, candy land, and we’re not really strangers. Each space moved forward in the game prompts a new conversation, all of which revolve around a different role love plays in a persons life.

About 20 minutes into the event, Waterhouse arrived. She was dressed plainly, in a t-shirt and a pair of bootcut jeans. She didn’t enter with a giant entourage or make a direct beeline to a corner booth. She greeted every person in the room warmly, like they were a friend she’s known her entire life.

She took residency at the corner of the bar where she had fans roll a die and played the track on the album with the corresponding number. “Jukebox,” “Happy with it,” “Puppy Dog Eyes,” and “Teardrops” were a few fan favorites. Between tracks, Waterhouse would answer questions from a small red and white mailbox. She started the event with a microphone but ditched it after the first song in favor of being closer to the crowd. She didn’t yell, no one spoke over her there was a level of mutual respect in the room not always present at fan events.

With each song that played, Waterhouse found her way deeper into the crowd. What sets Waterhouse apart from other artists is the pure reverence she has for the community of people that listen to her music. She spent the night leaning forward for quiet conversations along the bar and twirling on her tallest tiptoes in the center of the dance floor as the disco ball above her scattered silver light across her face.

The night ended with three rounds of “Back In Love,” as Waterhouse said her goodbyes to the crowd she remarked about how she wanted to party with her people everyday, and for the next record they would have a party before any of the singles came out so she could play every track for them for the first time, including the singles.

Loveland will be available everywhere July 10th.