New Zealand singer-songwriter Aldous Harding makes wonderfully weird, gorgeous art rock, which is not surprising, given that her stage is likely a nod to Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World. (She definitely loves her science-fiction and fantasy; two songs on her self-titled debut were inspired by Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast trilogy.) She put on a spellbinding performance recently in her appearance at the Howard Theatre, on her first US tour in four years.
Harding’s tour comes behind her recently released Train on the Island, her first album since 2022’s Warm Chris. At Howard Theatre on Sept. 11, she played all but one of the tracks on the LP, starting her set with the title cut. As a compulsive eater, I can relate to the next song, “I Ate the Most.” “Worms” has some wonderfully off-kilter lines about eating rocks and praying for incels. On “What Am I Gonna Do?” her almost infinitely malleable voice allowed her to sound like different characters, and even a different singer, not just from song to song, but within songs. After “Coats,” which concluded the main set, she said it “felt like we sprang that one,” and before “San Francisco” she said — I think — “it’s painful here.” Other songs from the album included “Venus in the Zinnia,” “If the Lady Does It,” and “One Stop.”Â
Watch the official music video for “One Stop” by Aldous Harding on YouTube:
Harding didn’t say much between songs. Before “Warm Chris,” she asked the audience, “Are you with me?” In its own way, the eerie silences, coupled with the dim lighting, effectively projected the right atmosphere for the show. She rounded out her set with a few more songs from Warm Chris (“Fever,” “Leathery Whip,” and “Passion Babe”) along with “Treasure.” For her encore, she played “Imagining My Man” and finished the evening with the title track from Designer.
Indie-folk singer-songwriter Sam Burton opened the show. He has a new album, Fairweather Friend, coming out on October 30, and he gave the audience a preview of some of that material. I didn’t catch most of the song titles, but he definitely played “Stranger,” and his accompanist played one of his own songs. I wasn’t familiar with his work, but I’m intrigued to give the new album a listen.
Harding has long been on my bucket list, and Friday night’s show didn’t disappoint. The songs were fantastic, her voice sounded incredible, and her band complimented it perfectly. She doesn’t come to the States, so if you have an opportunity to see her, it’s not to be missed.
Here are some photos of Aldous Harding — and opener Sam Burton — performing live at Howard Theatre on Sept. 11, 2026. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Nalinee Darmrong.
