Joe Hertz is a clear up and comer and has already garnered an astonishing amount of support for someone so new to the scene. But with some killer collaborations in his repertoire and his song-writing and producing skills, his nearly 700,000 monthly listeners on Spotify are well-earned. His music could be defined genre-wise as a mix of electro, drum & bass, and jazz. If you’re a fan of Tom Misch, Kwabs, or Zak Abel, this is definitely someone to keep on your radar.
I saw Joe Hertz last week at possibly the trendiest venue I’ve ever been to, to the extent that there was no sign on the door and it was under an old train line, which occasionally led to an extra thudding of bass as the trains ran overhead.
Hertz welcomed some fantastic singers to the stage alongside him throughout the performance. He opened with ‘Stay Lost’ sung by Amber Simone, which was one of his first releases and one of his first hits, performing with the singer and the band together in perfect synchronicity. Following this was ‘FOMO’, performed by Sam Wills, a singer with a beautiful voice who has also previously collaborated with Tom Misch. The vocal performances of the night were especially strong by Bassette on ‘Playing for You’, Pip Millett on ‘Goodbye Kisses’, and James Vickery on ‘Ritual’. The talent and flair demonstrated by all the guest vocalists has given me a substantial list of singers to watch out for.
This gig was a perfect demonstration of what Hertz has created and what he is capable of creating in the future; I would not be surprised to see him high up on the Top 40 list very soon.
I have to give a special mention to his band members, Hertz’s set-up of his laptop and mixing desk was accompanied by bass, drums, guitar, and keyboard, all of whom played with incredible harmony and expression. Although the set was short and sweet, it managed to cover much of his repertoire of his previous singles and his recently released EP Night/Daze.
Hertz has perfected the role that people like Mark Ronson and Clean Bandit have been dominating, in that his songs work both as a vehicle to demonstrate his song writing and producing skills, whilst also serving as an instrument for emerging vocalists to work with.
Hertz should be extremely proud of his performance, and I look forward to seeing him perform again soon and what he will create next.
