Gig Review: Roswell Road + Geneviève Racette - Kitchen Garden, Kings Heath, Birmingham. Wednesday 6th May 2026

Three key attributes to a successful gig were in place as a double header with distinction descended upon the Kitchen Garden. You can ask no more than an artist on their first UK trip to leave you fifty minutes later fully versed in what makes them creatively tick. Additionally, it is a vindicated pleasure when the faith placed in another artists recent album release is reaffirmed. Ultimate satisfaction lay in a pair of rewarding performances leaving a positive glow in the aftermath. Full credit to Geneviève Racette and Roswell Road for the treat of a debut Birmingham performance.

Hailing form Montreal, Geneviève Racette is determined to make the most of an inaugural UK tour The dates are of a varied commodity teaming up with a handful of homegrown acts creating a perfect opportunity to sell the wares from an eventful career to date. The jewel in the crown is coming equipped with a band consisting of Judith Little (backing vocals and percussion) and Éléonore Pitre (acoustic guitar). From the stroke of eight the trio found its rhythm and spent the first half of this equally split evening sharing a batch of songs rich in melody and strong on relatability. Racette doesn’t hold back on exposing who she is, vulnerabilities, motivators and most importantly a performer adept at meeting an audience half way leaving an impressive calling card pinned to their hearts.

French language songs are part of the act for this multilingual French Canadian, inducing an imaginative listening approach with Racette’s eloquent vocal style smoothing the path for an enriched experience. Most of her work is autobiographical and fed into a literal writing style. Folk-pop is an obvious slant to how the music is directed but traces of contemporary country storytelling add a fresh sheen. Associations with Kacey Musgraves cropped up while listening intently. The harmony vocals with Little were a notable feature, and while Pitre subtly played acoustic guitar, you felt scope for electric to prosper in a different setting. The set ended with Roswell Road invited for a five-piece finale. This act of artist camaraderie set a precedence for the evening closer to come.

The duo of Jasmine Watkiss and Zoe Wren have been active as Roswell Road for over half a decade. They finally became full length recording artists with the release of REBEL JOY earlier this spring. The Kitchen Garden show was part of a wider UK tour promoting the debut album and a chance to share an engaging batch of songs close up with fans. As expected the album proved the focal point of the set list with the two exceptions being an older song, ‘End of the Line’, which opened the set after the break, and a cover of 'Dreams by The Cramberries, a band favourite.

One of the outstanding songs on the set was ‘Bolder’. When reviewing the album in March, it was suggested the folk influence likely came from Wren, whose past work in that field was known. This evening the reverse came to the fore as it was written and performed by Watkiss, prefixed by the story of an encounter at sea. Admittedly, she said it was a curveball move away from her usual style and learning something new from a gig is a useful experience. 'Holy Mountain' also came across well on the night. Imagine drums and bass added in a different setting and it would soar further. 

Roswell Road were fully acoustic for this show with Wren (guitar) and Watkiss (violin and ukulele). The style is a mixture of folk. pop, country and Americana driven by sweet harmonies and super tunes making the music an enjoyable listen.

Geneviève Racette and Judith Little joined Roswell Road for an off-mic finale version of ‘Arabella’, one of the picks from the new album and a joyous evening was sealed. It was  fitting closure to a night where you constantly felt at one with the artists. Another triumphant expression of grassroots music with a dedicated audience savouring every moment.