Gig Review: Katelyn Henshall @ Vogelmorn, Wellington – 04/09/2026

There are some gigs that feel like a performance, and there are others that feel like you’ve wandered into the exact place a musician’s songs were always supposed to exist. Katelyn Henshall’s A Lil Somethin’ Somethin’ EP release at Vogelmorn Upstairs was very much the latter.

Henshall describes her sound as “whiskey lounge soul”; an unexpectedly accurate description. There’s the warmth and sophistication of soul, the accessibility of pop, and the rhythmic looseness of R&B, all delivered with enough personality to prevent the whole thing from becoming overly polished or self-serious. If her EP imagined R&B, soul and pop meeting for a late-night drink, this live performance was the moment they all decided to stay out a little longer.

Opening the night were Ari Leason and Jeline, who set the scene nicely before Henshall and her new band took over. For an artist still in the relatively early stages of her career, Henshall has already demonstrated an impressive appetite for live performance, having worked her way through some of Wellington’s most discerning venues since her debut at Meow.

Walking onto the Vogelmorn stage in a striking red dress, Henshall immediately had the visual presence to match the confidence of the music. Backed by Dónal Gunning on bass, Tane James on guitar and Oliver Dudziak (of Adoneye) on drums, she launched into Nothing Lasts Forever (de Verano), the Spanish-and-English R&B number that sits near the heart of her EP.

It was a strong choice for an opener. Gunning’s bass provided a wonderfully thick foundation while James’ guitar work added colour and movement around Henshall’s vocal. The performance had the same sense of easy groove that makes the recorded version so immediately appealing, but there was a little more space and spontaneity in the live arrangement.

Take Me Away followed, its jazz-inflected guitar and spring-reverb textures translating particularly well to the Vogelmorn room. Henshall’s voice was the star, however. Sultry without becoming overly smoky, sweet without losing its edge, there is a richness to her vocal tone that makes even the quieter moments feel substantial.

And quiet moments were important throughout the set. The band’s mixing was particularly impressive, with every instrument given enough room to breathe. Nothing felt unnecessarily loud or compressed, and the result was a smooth, tasteful sound that allowed Henshall’s voice to remain firmly at the centre. For music this dependent on groove, tone and subtle dynamic changes, that restraint paid dividends.

Then came a change of pace with Parcels’ Tieduprightnow. It was a smart cover choice, fitting naturally into Henshall’s musical world while giving the band an opportunity to demonstrate that they are more than simply backing musicians. The chemistry between Gunning, James and Dudziak was increasingly apparent, with each player contributing without ever stepping over the song.

Contrast brought the mood inward. On record, it provides the emotional breathing space between the more groove-oriented tracks, and live it was similarly effective. Henshall stripped things back and allowed the lyric and vocal to carry the weight. Her ability to move between R&B phrasing and a much more exposed singer-songwriter delivery is becoming one of her greatest strengths.

From there, What You Want Me To Be provided one of the night’s biggest emotional punches. The song’s central conflict – the exhausting realisation that you cannot become whatever somebody else needs you to be – has an immediacy that translates extremely well in a live setting. Henshall delivered it with conviction, while the band gradually gave the song the weight it deserves.

Lola Young’s Conceited followed, another excellent cover selection that suited Henshall’s vocal personality. There is clearly no desire here simply to reproduce the EP live. Instead, the set was beginning to feel like a broader introduction to the artist: the originals established who she is, while the covers showed where some of those influences sit within the wider musical landscape.

Incandescent continued that exploration before Olivia Dean’s Man I Need brought another soulful highlight. By this point, the set had developed an easy conversational quality. Henshall was comfortable interacting with the audience between songs, and those moments helped break down the barrier between performer and crowd. There was no sense of grandstanding; instead, she came across as someone genuinely pleased to be sharing these songs with people.

The set closed with You’d Be The One (Now I Know It Too), the single that has already demonstrated Henshall’s growing interest in exploring the R&B side of her sound.

It was a fitting conclusion. After moving through jazz, pop, soul, R&B and acoustic singer-songwriter territory, the final song brought those strands together into something that feels distinctly Henshall. The voice remained front and centre, but by this point the audience had also developed an appreciation for the musicians surrounding her, and that may be one of the most exciting things about this project.

A Lil Somethin’ Somethin’ is a tasting tray (as Henshall herself describes it), but the live show demonstrates that there is considerably more to come. Dónal Gunning, Tane James and Oliver Dudziak formed a tight, understated unit that gave Henshall plenty of room to explore her sound. The restraint in their playing was particularly effective – nothing needed to be pushed harder than necessary.

For someone balancing music with work and the general complications of everyday life, Henshall has already achieved an impressive amount in a relatively short period. From that first Meow performance to gigs at Moon, Valhalla and Vogelmorn, followed by recording a debut EP with a new band and releasing singles in the lead-up, this is an artist moving quickly. Instead, Henshall’s music feels considered. The songs have groove, but they also have emotional maturity. They can be sensual without being superficial, polished without becoming sterile and accessible without sacrificing personality.

The Vogelmorn Upstairs show made one thing particularly clear: the EP isn’t the destination. It’s the introduction. Katelyn Henshall has found a musical space where pop, soul and R&B can sit comfortably together, order another drink and stay until closing time. With a fantastic voice, a talented band and an increasingly confident live presence, A Lil Somethin’ Somethin’ feels less like a finished statement than a very promising opening chapter, and if this is only the beginning, Wellington’s late-night whiskey lounge soul scene may have just found one of its most interesting new voices.

Photo Credit: Shannon Williams for Muzic.NZ
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