Amanda Hickey & the Bruises

Amanda Hickey & the Bruises play Ani's Day & Night on Thursday, September 10, from 7 PM to 9 PM. It's a full-band set, and if you're not familiar with them, they're an Austin-based dark folk and Americana group led by singer-songwriter Amanda Hickey.

On this bill, Hickey is backed by the full Bruises: Giuseppe Antonio Volpi on upright bass, Tony Cook on lead guitar, and Jason Renn on mandolin and lap steel. Between the mandolin and the lap steel, there's a lot of acoustic texture to the sound, and the upright bass keeps it grounded in that old-country territory. It's a lineup that leans into the folk side of their Americana label.

Hickey herself is originally from Nebraska, and she's talked about finding the freedom in Austin to tell stories that are honest, haunting and heartfelt. That's a good way to sum up what the band does: they blend those rich acoustic textures and old-country influences with timeless storytelling, and they describe the result as a sound that's both gritty and tender. If you've heard them before, you know that balance of rough edges and soft melodies.

If you're interested in how the songs change when the band is stripped back, there's a second chance to catch her soon after. Hickey returns to the same venue on Wednesday, September 23, for the 'Wine, Women, & Song' showcase, where she'll be accompanied only by Giuseppe Antonio Volpi on upright bass. That'll be a duo set, just voice and bass, so you can hear the songs from a different angle. For now, the full band takes the stage on Thursday, September 10, at Ani's Day & Night, 7107 E. Riverside Dr., from 7 PM to 9 PM.