Sairie

Sairie play the Church of the Annunciation on Friday 11 September, with Eliza Skelton opening. It's a Brighton night for a Brighton band: Sairie are a local three-piece made up of Emma Morton, Jon Griffin and Andy Thomas.

The main draw is their first full-length album, Beneath the Spreading Tree, which they're presenting that evening. They describe their sound as deceptively stripped-back, other-worldly and beautiful, drawing on early 70s folk — specifically acid and psychedelic folk. They've been compared to Vashti Bunyan and Trees, and the record blends those otherworldly atmospherics with sparse arrangements.

Opening for them is Eliza Skelton, a Brighton-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Her debut solo album, The Lookerer (Blue Matter Records), got a warm reception from Shindig Magazine and from Stewart Lee, who called it "the twenty-first-century filmic folk rock album everyone needs". The limited edition LPs of that debut sold out shortly after launch, and she's currently working on a second solo album due in 2027.

Between the two, it's a folk-leaning bill from two local acts. The Church of the Annunciation is at 89 Washington Street, BN2 9SR. The night runs from 19:00 to 23:00, and tickets are £16 plus booking fee in advance or £20 on the door.