'Desire Makes You Ugly' release show: An intimate and vulnerable debut headline performance

At only 17 years of age, Jemima Rae is a name to keep an eye on.

From being aired multiple times on Triple J and Triple J Unearthed to performing in an all-female-led line-up at Collingwood’s The Tote, Rae has already accomplished what many young and up-and-coming musicians dream.

But Rae’s journey as an independent artist hasn’t been easy.

“I feel like people really underestimate the reality of being an independent artist,” Rae said.

“There is a lot of independence with money and other financial aspects… and having to do basically everything yourself.”

Despite the challenges, Rae recently headlined her own show to support the release of her debut EP, Desire Makes You Ugly, which has over 63,000 streams since its release in July.

The performance, hosted at Mamma Chen’s in the heart of Footscray, sold out the day before.

“I’m nervous because this is a sold-out show, and I didn't expect it to sell out,” Rae said.

Before Rae took to the stage, her opener, Emma Lin, wowed the crowd with only an acoustic guitar and raw vocals.

Rae stepped on stage with her signature carabiner hanging from her jeans and a ‘Free Palestine’ pin on her guitar strap, a sign of solidarity with those in Gaza.

The 11-song set from Rae featured all five songs from Desire Makes You Ugly, an unreleased song, and five covers.

Opening the set with her final single for her EP, Estranged Daughter, Rae’s confidence immediately showed as she belted high notes effortlessly.

Estranged Daughter helped Rae gain traction upon release, gaining airplay on Triple J and cementing her spot to win the Triple J Unearthed Open Book Award.

The next song, Say It To Me, vulnerably captured the hurt of losing a friendship, and showcased Rae's vocal talent and breath control as a vocalist.

Rae’s transition between Say It To Me and her cover of Talk by beabadoobee was smooth and immediately hyped up the crowd.

At this point of her performance, the crowd was lively and singing Rae’s songs word for word.

Rae went back to performing her own music, playing her debut single Again, which was released two years ago when she was only 15.

The Hayley Williams-esque introduction of her band members mid-Again was no coincidence, with Williams being one of Rae’s biggest influences.

Rae’s cover of Hanging Out To Dry by Florence Road was as energetic as the original, with her bassist paving the way for Rae to bust out a few dance moves.

Heart, one of the two songs released alongside Desire Makes You Ugly, was next.

The band perfectly executed all of the musical aspects of the song and performed identically to the studio version, with Rae’s vocals continuing to be flawless.

Rae and the band showcased their talent in their next two covers of punk-rock Green Day’s Coming Clean and indie-rock Mitski’s Brand New City.

The audience was then treated to the debut of an unreleased song followed by a spine-chilling cover of Radiohead’s Creep.

As the show drew to a close, Rae performed the closing track to her EP, Eyes In The Sun.

The slow, emotional beginning of the song, before a climactic ending with guitar and drums, proved once again why Rae’s name and music are something to look out for.

After the show, Rae reflected on her performance.

“I feel relieved, happy, and overall proud."

“This was my first proper band show, and it went really well considering it was our first time performing on stage together.”

In the crowd were also many familiar faces, including Rae’s grandma who flew in from New Zealand to watch her granddaughter perform.

“I feel so much love… and I feel so grateful for the whole experience; it means so much to me,” Rae said.

“I saw a lot of familiar faces of fans I have met before, but also my friends and that was so sweet of them to show up and support me.”

Rae is performing next at the Bergy Bandroom in Brunswick on September 5th, and tickets are available via Oztix.